Then You Were Gone
by nine.the8thgirl
Summary: "When was the last time you saw Tris Prior?" A story wherein we uncover the truth of Tris' murder through seven different witnesses and possibly seven different suspects, find love in a principal's office waiting room and reveal secrets that wasn't even meant to be heard.
1. Part I

**Wounded**

A bruise is tender

but does not last,

it leaves me as

I always was.

But a wound I take

much more to heart,

for a scar will always

leave its mark.

And if you should ask

which one are you,

my answer is-

you are a scar.

 _Lang Leav_


	2. I Chapter 1

**A/N**

 **NEW STORY!**

 **Warning: Tris is dead in this story. If you don't want that to be the case, I am telling you now, this story isn't for you but to be honest, she appears in this story a lot and is talked about a lot.**

 **Even after life, she's the center of this story :)**

 **Read it if you wanna risk it.**

* * *

 **PART I.** Chapter 1

I.

She looked up at the sky and saw the sun shining; there wasn't even a cloud in the sky. Ironic, how a day like this can be so _happy_ when there was a student rotting at the hospital basement. She sighs as parks the police car in front of the school.

She looked at the students and saw them laughing and enjoying their day. They probably don't know yet about the body found under the bridge. They shouldn't know. Why ruin a perfectly wonderful day as this?

She sighed again, not knowing why she was supposed to be interrogating these students. Shouldn't she be the one removed from the task because the victim was a close friend? But she guessed that that is exactly the reason they picked her; so this thing would be over as soon as possible.

To be honest, when Tori saw the envelope on her office desk, she had a gut feeling that it wouldn't be nice. At the moment she opened the envelope, she was glad that she hadn't eaten anything prior to that. It wasn't the fact that Tori knew the victim that made her feel sick, it was the way she was killed. Tris Prior was a nice enough girl. She was humble and selfless enough even is she was one of the richest people in the town, owing to her parents job. Tori had to gather her composure just so that she wouldn't break down as she saw the young girl's picture pinned on the front page. It didn't look like her. The blooming girl she always knew was now pale and lifeless.

Tori shivered as she remembered the pictures.

She would have to watch a lot of t.v. just to get those pictures out of her head, but she knew, that even after the investigation, she wouldn't be able to.

Nobody noticed the police car parked or maybe nobody cared. It wasn't rare that police go to their school. It's a small town. Most of the students just assumed that maybe it was a parent. But Tori was too young to be a mother besides most students, as they saw her come out of the police car, just deduced that maybe she was here for a visit. Most if not all that lived in their city went here for High School. Tori knew the stares, those apathetic stares. Of course nobody cared but she wondered whether people would care once they find out why she was really there.

II.

Christina watched as Tori parked her car in the driveway and didn't stop watching as Tori came out. Ever since she saw the car driving towards the school, she couldn't shake the feeling that was shooting up her spine. She felt her knees going soft and her inside turning inside out. She never had this feeling when it was Tori's police car, she saw. Usually when it was Tori in the ' _scene of the crime_ ' they'd be glad because at least the punishment would be less severe. But now, it's as if she had the aura of hell with her, or to be more exact, it's as if she brought hell as it is. She shivered and ran up the stairs towards the school sending Tris a small text saying _: Tori's in school. Must be trouble. Wru_?

Once she got inside, she saw Will leaning on the locker besides her. Seeing him made her heart beat and somehow made the feeling of anxiety falter a little. She sighs, letting the thoughts of Will lose because she knew he never saw her that way. Besides, he was busy as it is already. As she got closer, she saw him put his earphones on, probably listening to another song for church. One thing she loved about Will was his voice. If only he sang to her. When she was about 3 lockers away, Will looked up. Once he saw her, he smiled, and somehow the bad feeling had gone, if only permanently.

III.

Will saw the stiffness in Christina's movements albeit small. He knew her well enough though he wouldn't care to admit it. It isn't that he was shy; he was afraid of what his father might say. His father was never threatening but he was a Pastor. Growing up as a Pastor's Kid made him left out in a sense. He loved what he was doing; he never smoked or drink, or go to Sunday Bowling because he was always busy with church, to add with that, it's as if he was the only one in his friend group that didn't have a relationship. It wasn't prohibited but it wasn't encouraged as well. Still, he couldn't help but fall in love with the 5'8", brown haired girl. He even waited for her every morning even though they have no common classes. He was in too deep but it didn't matter. Seeing her now, with worry in her steps made him remember about the ache in his heart that morning, as if something bad had occurred. Even his father questioned about the urgency and the depth of his prayer. He didn't know why but something in Christina's stride told him that what's worrying them both isn't far from related.

IV.

Four woke up the that morning not wanting to go to school. He knew he was supposed to but his gut told him it'll be a bad idea. Although, he knew it'll be a bad idea if he didn't go as well. Who knew what Tris would say? Besides, he didn't want to ignite the flame especially since Tris and he had a fight who's fire was still just dying out. He called Tris though, saying good morning and flooding her voicemail with _I'm sorry_ and _Please talk to me._ She didn't pick up, which made sense but also made him feel an overwhelming dread. He knew how much Tris held a grudge especially at hi, because as her boyfriend, he should've understood better. He sighed and rose up from the bed just planning to apologize in person

He saw Tori's police car parked in the driveway of the school. He didn't want to think much of it; thinking that maybe there was another drug bust or a student was in prison but the more he wanted to get the thought out of his mind, the more it gnawed in his head on what Tori was really doing here. Though she graduated in the same school, she rarely visited and when she does, she'd rather do in a non-working day. Four tried to shake the thought away but as soon as he felt the atmosphere inside the school, he couldn't help but wonder if Tori's visit had something to do with the change in atmosphere.

V.

Zeke cursed as he looked at her number in his contact list. He didn't want to talk to her, but it was tempting to call her. He didn't know why, of all the people, he had to had a deep rooted infatuation for his best friend's girl friend. He had to notice that she wasn't here yet; the always early bird, already sweeping the hallways before anyone was even awake. That's why he was so tempted to call her. He cursed again. People didn't stare. Nobody noticed him even if he was beside the most popular guy in the whole school. He liked the anonymity. Nobody saw how much he looked at the brunette girl, always standing close to his best friend. They would never notice the way his hands twitched every time she got hurt; because he wanted so bad to help her. But he had no right to protect her. He wasn't hers. Never to begin with anyways. But she was nice enough to him even if she didn't know better about his feelings. He was always on the jot when she needed his help even if it was for Four, and in return she would always be there for her, as a "friend to lean on". Verbatim.

Uriah stared at him from the end of the hall after starting and ending another call. He didn't even wait for her to answer before he noticed his brother staring. Even with the façade that he put up, he wouldn't contest that his brother probably knew about his worried stare. Everyone didn't notice but Uriah did and Zeke can't help wonder if his brother is feeling the same thing.

VI.

Uriah knew when his brother always fussed about Tris but seeing his brother now, sitting on the stairs, he couldn't help but wonder if there was more to this fussing. Uriah noticed that Tris wasn't here yet, or even that Christina and Will kept checking their phone. They were also looking so where ever Tris was, she didn't want anyone to know. Four entered the school a couple of minutes later, looking dreadful. It's as if he didn't have any sleep but Uriah assumed that maybe he didn't. Tris was never a nice girl to begin with. Well, in a way she was nice enough but she was also reckless. She probably drank to much the night before and was now lying somewhere or is still fast asleep at home. Uriah didn't mind but he did feel a shift in the atmosphere and with Tori, he noticed, walking towards the principal's office, he can't remove the feeling building in his stomach that maybe, this isn't just a shallow problem at all.

VII.

Even though everyone knew him as apathetic, Peter was observant. And he saw how Tris' friends were looking. He saw the worry in their eyes, the difference in their steps and knew that there was something up. Of course, it didn't help that the queen bee wasn't here yet. He snickered thinking Tris Prior could actually be late. He didn't know why he started thinking about Tris. He shouldn't have. She didn't care about him and he didn't care about her. But of course, as a photographer for the school newspaper, you have to capture every single moment. And these were moments.

He felt his camera in his arms, looking for something to take.

The funny thing is, in all his pictures, everyone of Tris' friends were there. It kind of reminded him about Final Destination 3 but he silently laughed. Nobody was dying, well, he hoped nobody is.

When he raised his camera again, he saw Tori as the study of his photograph

 _Odd._ _Tori never went to school, even if she might have studied here._ He thought.

As a journalist, you knew when something big was happening or that you can make a story out of anything. There is that tingling in your bones telling you that you ought to do some of these things and that these moments are worth jotting down and Peter can't help but notice that same feeling running up and down his body right now. The only difference is, he didn't like this feeling.

VIII.

In the midst of the shouting and broken glass wares at the dining room last night, Caleb failed to notice the absence of his sister in the other room. He didn't even notice the empty plate opposite him at breakfast that morning. Maybe too much was in his mind that he didn't notice the air getting colder around him. Only did he enter the school and saw that Tris wasn't anywhere in the building did he shiver. _'What trouble did you get yourself into today?'_ Caleb typed and quickly sent to his sister. Tris, albeit the success in her academics, was a little rebellious especially to the rules but nobody could actually blame her because she did well. She said that no matter what happens, she'd rather be a rebel who did well than a rebel who threw her life away. Even though Caleb hated this about his sister, he loved her determination to prove that she can have fun in the midst of school stress.

He was on the way to his classroom even though school starts in about 30 more minutes but then he found himself leaning on the locker unable to stand when the speakers above was calling his, Christina's, Will's, Four's, Zeke's, Uriah's and Peter's name. In the midst of all the people the seven of them saw each other. Caleb took in a deep breath and stood up, ignoring the hurt in his stomach as if someone just stabbed him.

IX.

Tori looked around at the worried looks across from her, worried that maybe they already knew. But she knew that the police made sure nobody would find out. The body was quickly recovered and sent to the morgue, not even letting the media have a piece of the case. They didn't want this to get out, especially since the victim is a Prior. Of course at this very moment, police were already at the Prior residence. Tori can just imagine Natalie trying to contain her emotions as Andrew, even in the middle of a divorce case, is holding his wife trying to stay strong but feeling his heart shattering.

"I have some very bad news." Tori said, getting to the point.

Christina sniffled as if she knew this was coming. It didn't escape Tori's notice of Will getting closer to Christina, his hand twitching. She was an detective; of course she noticed things.

"I want to talk to you all one by one." Tori said, sitting down. Nobody followed.

"Why?" Peter asked. Nobody said anything but everybody questioned why he was here. He wasn't a known acquaintance of the group that Tris Prior was in.

"We need all of you for an importance case." Tori said. She didn't want to beat around the bush, but she didn't want to drop the bomb on all of them.

"You're stalling, Tori. Just tell us what this is about." Four said.

Tori wanted to smile. Four was like his father, though he didn't want to admit. He was aggressive as the older Eaton. Tori looked at the principal and she shook her head but nodded soon after and took her leave.

"You all know Tris Prior, am I correct?" She didn't have to ask but this was protocol and Four was right, she was stalling.

Christina was already crying. Caleb was shaking his head. Four's jaw was tight. Zeke's fist were clenched. Tori can already feel the tension in the room growing stronger. The air was growing thicker and she couldn't even feel is she's still breathing. She sighed. She had to do this, and end this soon.

"Your friend was murdered at around 10:30, Friday night. Her body was found beneath Dauntless bridge last night. I called you all here today because you were noted to be the last people who were with Miss Prior the night she was murdered. You all are possible witnesses….."

Silence.

"… _and possible suspects."_

Tori looked at all of them. They all looked as white as the dead body at the hospital basement.

"Now let me ask you, when did you last see Tris Prior?"

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Thoughts? Negative-reactions? Hatemail? Messages of Supports? Anything to say? Small-talk?**

 **Comment your insights below.**

 **I hope to hear from all you readers and I hope this story will make you want to stay and wait in the edge of your seat for my updates.**

 **Get used to me, cause I am a busy person and do not have time to update very much but I don't forget about my stories and my readers. Don't worry. :)**

 **New reader and just found out about me? Go on and follow me if you think my stories are worth it to read.**

 **Follow if you're risking the pain of Tris's death.**

 **Favorite if you think you'll like this story even just for one chapter.**

 **-eloise.**


	3. I Chapter 2

**A/N**

 **Longest thing I ever wrote, to be honest. (Not counting a research paper and my finals paper in Philosophy)**

 **Hope you enjoy, guys.**

 **I'd be having a break in two weeks from college so hopefully I can upload the next chapter by then. (If I won't be busy studying.)**

 **Anyways, review. Follow and favourite.**

* * *

 **Part I.** Chapter 2

I.

Four didn't want to be here. Or he was too sad to be here. He couldn't get the concept of his girl friend just dying. It didn't seem to be real and other than that, he was missing class because of these interviews.

Who knew he actually cared about class?

They were sitting in the principal office waiting room, waiting for whatever needs to happen next. They didn't know how they'll do this question and answer thing. Were they suppose to stay here or go down to the police station?

Whatever is happening it's making Four mad and irritated and more or less angry at himself that he wasn't there for her.

 _Why wasn't he there for her?_

Tori entered the room.

"Can we go, Tori. We didn't kill Tris." Four suddenly said. He knew that was idiotic because they just needed leads. That's why they were here.

"If you're looking for suspects, then don't haul us up." Four continued. He didn't know what he was saying, or even if he had control on what he was saying. Tori was just listening.

"If you wanted a murderer, why not interview Peter first? He's capable. He already tried when we were children." Peter's hand twitched. He was holding the camera in his hand and he was fidgeting. Nobody did not know about the incident when they were about seven years old, how Peter stabbed someone's eye out. He didn't mean it. He was an impulsive child.

He had a mental problem and everybody knew that. The only reason why he joined photojournalism in the first place is too be able to control his impulses. Instead of trying to attack, he was focusing all his energies in his pictures.

Tori knew when something was going too far and this was one of it, so she stepped forward.

"Four, I don't need you blaming anyone. We're not looking for suspects today, we're looking for leads." Tori said. Four knew that but he was too broken to function properly. Besides, no broken thing actually functions properly.

"Then why is Zeke here?" He continued.

"He never had a direct relationship with Tris. Who knows if he actually knows her?" Everybody shifted. They knew something.

Four saw.

He thought about what they were hiding. Does he not know something they do?

He looked at Zeke and noticed him flexing his hands as if trying to control the fist forming.

Did he say something offending? Last time he checked, Zeke never cared for Tris. He knew that Zeke knew Tris by association and that was that but never anything more intimate.

He shook his head and took a seat. There were more important things to think about.

Tori sighed.

"I know this is a hard situation but each other is all you got. So play nice." She said eyeing Four.

"Christina, I'll talk to you first." Tori said and went to the other room. Christina stood up, feeling Uriah squeeze her hand. Will didn't seem to notice or didn't want to notice. He felt an ache in his heart thinking that he can never do that. Even though it was a simple gesture of friendship, he knew he couldn't.

"Good luck" Will muttered and he can see the slight twitch in Christina's lips as she walked out of the room.

II.

"Don't be scared, Christina" To be honest, Christina didn't how to feel. She was still crying which caught her off guard because the tears are supposed to be dried up right now, right? She felt that all that her tear ducts just kept refilling because this was the only thing she could feel right now. Her heart was probably crying too.

She started to hiccup.

Christina saw Tori motion to one of her colleague who just arrived a few minutes after Tori dropped the news. He sighed and walked out the door only to come back later with a glass of water.

Christina just stared at it.

"I want you to relax, Christina" Tori said. Christina shook.

"How can you say that?" she tried, trying so hard to keep her voice from quivering. It's futile, she knew because the red in her eyes wouldn't even hide the tears that has been shed.

"I know it's har-"

"I lost a best friend." Christina interrupted. They didn't get it. They wouldn't know how much Tris Prior changed her life. They didn't how much Tris meant to her, how she was the first person to approach her at camp that May day. It was a surprise that they found each other enrolled in the same school. Tris was there when Christina's parents divorced, or when she had eating disorder, trying to puke everything out until her body was only skin and bones. Tris was there when she wanted to just stand at the edge of the building's rooftop so that all her pain would just end; it was Tris who called her that day. Tris was the one who called her to preserve her life.

And now, Tris was gone and Christina felt so guilty because the words that was spoken last Friday night might probably changed the situation today if only the words weren't spoken in the first place.

And thinking about this now, Christina cried again.

III.

Will kept looking at his watch and at the front door. He was muttering silent prayers but his head was so unfocused that he stopped and took a deep breath. Praying was the only thing that can help him right now. What could his father think if he knew Will was caught up in the middle of a murder case? He didn't know what hurt most, seeing Christina cry her soul out and knowing the reason she was crying that way in the first place.

Though Will knew that his personality crashed with Tris and that most people don't mostly associate his _type_ of people to be with the type of people Tris was, but Tris was nice enough to him so he actually tolerated her.

He looked around the room and saw the people sitting there, trying to observe them. He wasn't a keen observer as Peter and Zeke were but from years of being surrounded by people with so many stories, he knew how to read body languages and he couldn't fathom how people are natural pretenders.

He looked up at Zeke.

He was muttering under his breath, looking at his phone. Uriah lay down beside him, often twitching. His eyes were red and Will knew why. Four was on the corner, head tucked on his knees. He didn't know if he was crying. Peter was looking at his camera, twisting dials here and there and Caleb was just there, sitting down. He didn't know how much this affected the guy, he just lost a sister.

Tris wasn't a bad guy like most rumours said. Yes, she was a bit enthusiastic about things and rebellious on how they were going to do these things but Will knew Tris was a nice girl. Tris was the only one he could actually invite to the Church. She went there occasionally and she knew some of the people. It made him smile how committed she is but the heart of Tris isn't meant for good things. Her heart turned black too much that it was hard to change. Will wanted to change her, to change the broken hearted girl that she is and Will just bit his lip, feeling guilty that he wasn't even able to introduced Tris to the church completely; if he could've, they might be in their classes now and not trying to piece up her murder.

With this in mind, he knelt on the floor and started praying, not caring on what the others are talking about.

IV.

Four didn't know what to do, to be exact.

In the silence of the room, he couldn't help but think of every brutal possibility of how Tris died. She was found under a bridge, and he couldn't understand how it could've happened.

He wished there was at least music in this room.

He tried singing but his thoughts would always just go back to Tris. Not only about her murder but also everything that happened between them.

Tris was his other half, that was nothing to doubt about.

They met when they were children, when he was juggling a football on his front yard. A girl suddenly walked towards him and asked if they could play, he agreed back then and he was glad he did.

He cursed himself and it didn't escape anyone's notice though everyone ignored it. He wanted to talk to someone, just so that conversation will cloud his mind on what is happening today but he couldn't find someone to talk to.

Christina was head bent and crying in the other room and who knows what they were talking about.

And the other person he wanted to talk to was keeping a secret from him. He eyed Zeke and wanted so badly to find out about that anger that he was trying to hide a couple of minutes ago. He knew Zeke and he knew Zeke's only connection to Tris was him. Yes, he saw them talking a couple of times but it was just small talk, it couldn't have been anything serious.

And then he remembered something serious. Everyone knew about his fight with Tris last Friday, who wouldn't? They were shouting at each other at the centre of the plaza but what they didn't know was why.

And he shouldn't have done it.

He knew it was all his fault but his pride wouldn't let her get the upper hand.

He didn't want to say it. He wanted to forget the past and just not tell her what happened that May Day Eve but the only reason he did it so that he wouldn't lose her. Lose her to another. See her everyday but think that she isn't his anymore but thinking about it now, he'd rather lose her that way than lose her like this.

V.

Zeke cracked his knuckles.

He still looked at his phone as if miraculously Tris would still contact him.

He hated himself now especially looking at Four at the other side of the room. He was suppose to be there for him; he is Four's best friend but he couldn't muster up the courage to walk towards him.

Especially after what happened. Zeke knew Uriah doesn't tell secrets. So he knew that he couldn't have told anyone about him liking Tris but apparently it was obvious.

They wouldn't have shifted like that if they knew Four was right, if they didn't know any better.

He silently cursed himself for not noticing that people noticed.

But of course, classic story.

The one who should've cared to know was oblivious of the whole thing and it sucks being the friend that hurt him indirectly.

But if Four only knew what happened Friday night, confessing to a little crush would've have been better.

He knew of course that Tris was pushy and reckless in everything but a shouting match with Four and then going home drunk with him isn't actually putting him in the best position.

Of course nothing happened.

He isn't one to do it with drunk girls though Tris tried to kiss him.

He wanted so badly to but of course, she wasn't his; she was his best friend's.

Zeke should've done something though. Drop her off her house was one but she insisted that she didn't need a ride home. He should've just made sure she was safe before he let her go, or that she had somewhere to go.

Looking at Four, Zeke thought that maybe he was right.

Maybe he didn't know Tris at all and the only side he saw of her, was the one that shadowed Four and he didn't like that.

He wanted to know her better.

But there wasn't any chance of that now.

VI.

Uriah didn't know what to do. To be honest, he shouldn't even be caring. Yes, Tris was nice. Yes, Tris was okay. Yes, Tris was his friend. But he hated her. Nobody knew about what happened three years ago, not even Tris. Well, Tris knew most of it but not the whole part of the story.

She didn't know about how he stayed there throughout the night just so that nothing bad happened to their companion even though something already did.

She didn't how nobody found her.

Why didn't anyone even report her missing?

Nobody cared because Tris didn't like her, and so nobody gave a second glance.

Once a Prior labeled you worthless, you were and that's why Uriah hated her. Uriah wanted to congratulate the person who killed her for finally getting rid of the queen bee but shook it out of his head. No matter how evil Tris can get, she was still his friend that he wanted to strangle and each ice creams with.

No matter how many times he'll close his eyes it was Tris that came to mind.

Before the incident three years ago, Uriah and Tris were inseparable. Only after Tris met Christina did her friendship with Uriah falter.

They talked but she was more important now. She wouldn't have noticed him if she hadn't met her prior to that.

But they both knew how much because of Tris he changed.

He became slightly better yet more worse with Tris. He even remembered the kiss. Tris was Uriah's first kiss though who knew how many she had before that. She toyed with his feelings that's why today, it's just futile to have them. He wanted so badly to warn his brother not to fall for the Prior charm but he did. And now he's snickering thinking that the time that he actually fell in love with someone worth loving, Tris had to interfere.

She had to be there three years ago.

She wasn't invited, but she was there.

Uriah knew she shouldn't have confronted her about what happened three years ago last Friday night, because past is past.

He just couldn't accept that she still didn't know.

He knew if he kept quiet she'd be alive today. That was a fact.

I mean, if he kept quiet she wouldn't even get drunk and go home with his brother in the first place.

For the thirteen years that Uriah was friends with Tris, he knew her enough and he knows that a fighting match with Four wouldn't make her drink. No, she would've just walked it off and tended her wounds at home but Uriah had to butt in.

Uriah doesn't want Tris to be dead. He doesn't want this. Even with all the pain she caused him, Tris did not deserve this.

She deserved better.

And his heart clenched thinking that maybe the reason she wouldn't get _better_ was partly because of him.

VII.

Peter looked at the photos he had taken from the last week. Tori would probably ask about what happened Friday night and his mind was a bit foggy to remember anything.

It didn't slip his mind though about the screaming outside his father's mini market that day. It was what everyone was talking about and he heard every thing, like most people did.

They didn't pay any attention to it. What was so important from two teenagers fighting about superficial thinking other than amusement? But Peter cared enough. Part of his sickness was that he thought about things to much. Every time he closed his eyes, things would be flying in his mind trying so hard to catch his attention. That day, in the silence of the mart and with the fighting outside, his mind just kept going back to the source of the noise and couldn't think of anything else. A lot of questions rushed in his mind. It was quixotic to think of it that way but even though it was only shouting, he thought that maybe someone might get hurt physically, or worse died. He laughed at it then, took a picture of them fighting and on the things in the shop to focus his mind on something.

He didn't laugh now.

Especially since someone did die.

Even though that someone was someone he really didn't care about.

Maybe Tris Prior was so used to attention, but Peter won't be one to give that to Tris. She already had that luxury from her boy friend and from his boy friend's best friend who shadowed her every move.

Zeke thought nobody noticed but everybody looking at them did.

Maybe that's why Four didn't, because he was never behind Zeke. He would've never seen the longing in Zeke's eyes for Tris.

He sighed.

Looking at the pictures on his camera of Friday night, he thought that maybe he did give Tris some attention.

And that was the first time Tris actually gave him hers.

Thinking back on it, he wished that he acknowledged her more. Maybe if she only had someone to talk to, she wouldn't have died because as a very observant person, Peter noticed that _attention_ was what the center of attention needed that day.

VIII.

Christina might be Tris's best friend and Four might be her boy friend, but Caleb was Tris's brother and this was killing him more than it did the other two. They cried but Caleb felt nothing. He couldn't fathom crossing Tris' room and not knocking on her door asking how she is. He didn't know how someone he grew up with could be gone in just a single night. He wanted to cry. He wanted to feel something but the hurt just walled his heart out.

He didn't know what to feel.

He hated not knowing what to feel.

He hated not being there for her.

She called him that night, asking for help, for companionship. He ignored her because he was impressing a girl and now he wanted to just go back.

If it was possible to go back in time, can he have that opportunity now?

No girl would be worth it to impress if Tris wasn't there. Besides, she was his number one girl. Despite the rumours and their whole array of differences, they loved each other because they were the only one each other had.  
They couldn't depend on their parents because their parents wouldn't get it, they were never present in their lives anyways.

His parents have been calling him and he knew why.

Of course, the police couldn't have withdrawn this information with them and he didn't want to be the one to tell his parents, especially in the middle of a divorce case, that there daughter is dead.

He wanted to laugh.

Maybe this is the thing that can actually throw the divorce papers out the door and have them have the perfect family they had before.

Tris always wanted that.

And maybe in her death, in can happen.

But Caleb knew better. His mom will probably pack her bags and leave his father drinking down his alcohol in the kitchen.

Or he'll probably go around the city to buy himself a woman that will remove his thoughts from what's happening.

One thing Caleb hated about their parents, is they're cowards. He couldn't even remember the last time they didn't run away from something and now that there daughter is dead, what's the best way to handle it but run away.

IX.

You look around. Everyone was already whispering as to what had happened. Of course it didn't escape anyone's notice that Tris wasn't present and that her closest friends were hauled in the principal's office with two police officers with them.

The back of your hand is itching and you just want to come forward. You know what happened that Friday night.

Besides, you were the last one with Tris.

But you couldn't do it.

You don't know how to do it.

How does one confess to a murder anyways?

You hear your heart beating and everything around you was patterns. People were walking around you in a synchronized manner not knowing that a murdered was in their midst. Your hand was red.

You've been scratching at it since you've seen the first police car pull over.

It remember you of the redness of your hands back then, caked in blood.

You don't know why nobody is arresting you.

Don't you smell of Tris's perfume? Isn't your hands stained with her blood?

You suddenly feel scared and rush to the nearest bathroom.

Trying to wash every remnant of Friday night away from you.

You wash your hands even though there is nothing left there. You've washed the blood away but no matter how many times you turned your hand, you still see blood.

You take deep breaths.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

You lock the bathroom door and decide to do the right thing. You were caught in the middle of a prank gone wrong and you wanted to set things right.

Your hands shiver.

You put your phone on the sink and wash your face.

Look yourself in the mirror.

You find the recorder in your phone and press _'Record'_.

You inhale.

"I want to apologize for every innocent person caught in this and also, I want to apologize for Tris Prior's death. I never wanted her dead but circumstances had to change. I will explain every thing in this recording, but first let me introduce myself."

You pause and think it over again.

 _This is the right thing to do. For once you're doing the right thing_. You tell yourself.

 _"My name is….."_

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Okay.**

 **First of all, I know Tris sounds like a mean girl, and she is sort of, and she is kind of not. There are two sides of the coin.**

 **I had something in mind when I'm writing this story and I didn't want to Tris to be too much of a nice girl like she was in Divergent because I wouldn't have a reason to kill her.**

 _ **It's not as if she's initiating a rebellion in this fic, right? :3**_

 **Second, I'm sorry about Uriah's back story about Tris. I didn't know who to pick to have that back story. Four's the boy friend so that wouldn't make sense. Will is a Pastor's Kid, so he can't possibly hate anyone. Zeke was infatuated with Tris. Caleb is the brother. And Peter has enough back story. So I pitched Uriah in for that story so yeah.**

 **Anyways, if you have any more problems with this chapter or this story, review and I'll address every thing the next time I update.**

 **Thank you for everyone who reviewed and I hope you review again and I hope reviews keep on coming.**

 **It's nice to hear from readers :)**

 **-eloise.**


	4. I Chapter 3

**A/N**

 **College is exhausting.**

 **And I literally wrote this in a span of three months.**

 **And since I'm starting my summer classes on Monday, I wanted to update as soon as possible.**

 **I'm not going to promise anything now. I hope you enjoy the story.**

 **Review. Follow. Favourite.**

* * *

 **Part I.** Chapter 3

I.

As Tori looks through the principal office window through the kids that was waiting for evaluation, she can't help but feel a little dead herself. She may not know Tris well enough but she was a good friend.

She looked at her folder and saw Tris there, with a smile on her face. _Much more beautiful than the pictures in the other folder._ Tori thought.

All she wanted was all this to be over, because maybe then they wouldn't think of Tris as someone who was murdered but think of her and cry both happy and sad tears at the memories shared.

As she looks at the students waiting outside the principal office, she can't help but remember the first time she met Tris Prior.

It was the summer of 2-. She was thirteen.

* * *

Tori was at the market shopping with her mother, trying to take as many food and putting it on the cart, oblivious that her mother was putting it back the shelves. Tori's mom was just smiling as she watched her daughter pick up things she wouldn't even remember getting. She watched as Tori's brother walked ahead of them, trying to be a big man.

"Tori, come here." Tori's mother says as she watches her daughter saunter away, apparently finding something else to put in the shopping cart. She sighed and just let her daughter wander. Besides, they know where to find her later. It's not as if the store was so big.

She was wandering around the fruit section when she suddenly felt something hit her shoe. She looked down and saw an apple had rolled towards her. She looked up and saw a little girl, staring up at her and then suddenly looking at the apple at her foot. Tori picked it up and wiped it on her shirt and passed it towards the little girl.

"Is this yours?" Tori asked. The little girl, nodded.

Tori smiled and gave it to her, watching as her tiny fingers clutched the apple. Once she had the apple on her hand, she smiled.

"Oh thank God, you're here. I thought I lost you." Tori watched as a woman, maybe around early thirties clutch the little girl and it warmed her heart.

Without hesitation the woman said thank you to her. She just smiled.

"I'm Natalie, by the way. Natalie Prior." the woman said, extending a hand to the thirteen year old girl which completely set her aback. It wasn't common that a grown up with introduce herself. "This is Beatrice." she added, ruffling her daughter's hair earning a glare from her daughter which only made them smile at the cuteness only a five year old girl could do.

"I'm Tori." she says, silently.

"Nice to meet you, Tori. See you around." Natalie said and then went of. She carried Tris and Tris looked back at her smiling.

* * *

Thinking about it now, she can't help but imagine what losing her daughter be doing to Natalie right now. The only time that she actually lost her in the market she was already so worried. What could knowing her daughter dead feel?

II.

Christina's tears dried up, thankfully. She was still hiccupping though but it didn't bother her anymore. Nothing could bother her anymore. She was already past the point of not caring. If she let herself feel again, she might just be crying again. And she wanted to block of everything in her mind; everything that happened that Friday night.

She was so selfish.

"Christina." she cringed at the sound of her name. It sounded like the calls of Tris to her when she stormed out of that shed that she completely ignored.

What if she listened? What if she actually explained? Would it actually change something? Will it bring her back?

She wanted to know because maybe it'll feel easier if it won't change a thing.

"Christina." she looked up seeing Tori hover over her.

"I need you to answer a couple of questions, alright." Christina bites the bottom of her lip but nods.

She looked at the papers. Of course, preliminary questions. Who was she; her name, age and birthplace, school place and what not. Tori skipped those parts. She knew them well enough that she didn't need to ask.

"How do you know the victim?" Tori asked, casually.

Christina's heart was beating.

"Could you at least say her name? Could you pretend this isn't real?" Christina asked, quietly.

"But it is. And you must learn to accept that." Tori said and sighed seeing Christina wouldn't answer.

"How did you know Tris?" Tori finally said.

Christina exhaled.

"It was back at camp, around six years ago…."

* * *

SUMMER CAMP, year 2-

Christina was holding on to her mother's hand. She was exceptionally shy owing to the fact that she never had to go to a real _school_ before even though this was summer camp. She was always home schooled because her father was always away and her mother was busy with her work. It seemed too foolish. Wasn't it actually the best way to send her to school? But with her dad's job comes a lot of travelling. She enjoyed the trips, that's why she never actually complained on the home schooling business, but now, not even knowing what to do, she kind of hated the fact that she never got the chance to socialize with other children.

"It's alright, Christina" her mother said sternly. She let go of her mother's hand and put them on her side, trying to remain calm and collected. Though what she was feeling was anxiety and agitation and she just wanted to find her cabin and stay there for the rest of the summer.

"Go on, make some friends" her mother said, practically shoving her towards the group of girls, huddled at the centre. Translation: Go and occupy yourself so I could leave already. This doesn't usually happen but her father hasn't been getting flights lately and has been stumped with paper work instead.

And besides, even though she was just twelve, she couldn't hide the fact that she knew her parents were fighting. There wasn't the usual light in there eyes. There wasn't love there anymore.

Christina knew when she was being sent away, and the closer she got to the group of girls, the farther she felt from her mother. Maybe because every step she took forward, her mother took a step back.

That's when a girl, wearing a polka dotted jumpsuit saw her and sauntered towards her. She was shocked, and even she heard her mother gasp as if this was unusual but they both waited on what will happen. Can Christina actually have a friend?

"Hello" the other girl says, smiling.

"Hi" Christina whispers. The girl smiles sympathetically at the quietness of Christina's voice. The other girl doesn't hesitate. She hooks her arm over Christina's.

"Are you new here?" she says, trying to drag her, to make her walk. Christina nods.

"Well, camp is amazing. You will love it here, I promise." she says, giving Christina a toothy grin. "I'm Beatrice by the way, but everybody calls me Tris." she says. Suddenly, Christina felt calm and knew that yes, she did have a friend. "Christina." she answers.

III.

It just didn't feel real. Never had it come to Will's mind that he will be part of a murder investigation. He grew up in a modest enough family, who tried there best to be good. A Pastoral family had to be someone they looked up to and now he's too scared to even think about what his father might think once he finds out, if he hasn't already. Yet, he also wanted to thank his dad for teaching them to leave gadgets in lockers, because school is school and you can't be distracted by any outside things. He sighs. He was waiting for Tori inside the room. He was fiddling with the necklace around his neck. It was a lucky charm of sorts though he never actually believed in mere luck. He sighed.

"Will, are you alright?" Will hears Tori asked as she entered the room. He passes his hand over his face, trying to see clearly, that he might open his eyes and see his bedroom. Maybe he was just dreaming but that wasn't the case. No matter how many times he opened his eyes, he still saw the bare brown walls of the principal's office.

"I don't know what to do" he suddenly said.

"You're just going to answer a couple of question." Tori said, though she knew that wasn't what he meant.

"I wasn't talking about that." Tori smiled.

"We all don't know what to do." she said, and then sat down opposite him.

"Will, I want you to concentrate, do you understand?" Will sighs but nods anyways.

"How did you first know, Tris?" Tori said. She eventually used _Tris_ than _the victim_ because of what Christina said. Besides, she thought, these children didn't need any more hurt for the day.

"It was about 5 years ago, we were thirteen and in middle school"

* * *

Year 2-,

Will was holding the paper where his locker number is written. He was slowly walking towards it, head down and avoiding people as much as he can. Will isn't really the sanguine type of person. He'd rather converse only when talked to but if people ignore him, he'll ignore other people too.

He was already so close to his locker when he felt a searing pain on his right shoulder. He hated this. First day and he was already being bullied. He grunted and looked around seeing a girl also massaging her shoulder. She turned around and saw him, then she blushed.

"I'm so sorry" she said, and he was shocked because he was so used to being the one to say sorry even though he did nothing wrong. That's what he learned being bullied for so long.

"It's alright." he said, still trying to process the situation.

She smiled.

"Maybe I should watch where I'm going next time." she said shyly. Will just smiled.

"Are you new here?" Will didn't really want to talk much. One, because he didn't think it was important, and two, he might not even talk to her again. But there was something about her.

"Yeah" Will said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, let's be new together." she said. "I'm Tris."

"Will"

* * *

As he reminisced the first time he met Tris, he can't help but wonder how that sweet innocent girl he met during the first day of middle school could turn out to be the rebellious and out going girl she was.

Change was possible.

But this wasn't the type of change that Will wanted for Tris.

Thinking about it, something happened to her between then and now.

Maybe Tris wasn't all that perfect after all.

He thought that maybe what she needed was someone to understand her.

And Will thought that maybe they didn't, her friends, maybe they killed her slowly inside.

IV.

Four's hands were shaking. What were they suppose to ask him? He really wasn't scared of the questions though. He was scared to feel guilty, that he did something that could've cause her death. Well, except for the fact that he wasn't there for her that night.

He slammed his fist on the table, causing Tori to jump but he didn't care. Tori is probably already used to him by now. Tori didn't say anything though. She waited for him to calm down even though he might not. He did. Maybe because he knew staying this way won't answer anything.

"Four, I want you to calm down." Tori silently said. Four breathed in and breathed out.

"Okay." he quietly answers.

"Tell me, how did you meet Tris?" Four looked at Tori confusingly.

"It's protocol" Tori said.

"She just moved in the neighborhood, 10 years ago or so…"

* * *

Year 2-

It hasn't been raining and Four knew when it was a good day so he walked outside his front lawn and started kicking his football. He was doing drills when he noticed a girl peering over there fence. He ignored her at first but she didn't leave.

"Who are you?" Four asked.

"Can I play with you?" she said, completely ignoring Four's question. Four looked at her and shrugged, "Sure." To be honest, Four knew she wouldn't be good. The fact that she wanted to play wearing skirt and sandals was already a bad enough move in the first place but Four was easy on her. He was surprised at himself because to be honest, he'd show his superiority in the sport to this stranger but he didn't. Instead, he lowered himself down and played as if he himself was a beginner. Being around Tris that time, made his 8 year old a little kinder.

When the sun started setting, She took the ball and held it by her hip.

"Thank you for the day, Mister." She said. Four looked at her curiously, but he didn't ask.

"My parents might be looking for me. I'll see you around." she says putting the football down and kicking it to him for the last time. She went around the fence and then crossed the street towards her house. She looked back and waved back at him. He waved back and he watched her go.

* * *

He should've known that Tris wasn't any ordinary girl. He should've known that the innocent looking girl isn't innocent after all but he was too struck by her presence that he didn't think about it.

"That's still my best memory of Tris." Four whispered, not knowing that in the small space he was in, everyone heard.

"Four?" Tori prompted, "Are you alright?" Tori asked.

"I.." Four looked up at Tori.

"Are we done?" Four asked. Tori sighs. She stares at him and decides to sit down.

"Let's continue then."

He nods. But as he tries to remember what happened 10 years ago, he can't keep away the nagging feeling that maybe what killed Tris is herself.

V.

Zeke first met Tris when Uriah brought her home for a school project. At most times, Zeke refused to take interest on Uriah's friends but Tris was somehow the exception. Though he tried his best to stay away from his brother and his friends, causing him to lock himself up in his room the whole day, only going out to get food, a girl found herself going into the room. After a couple of hours of working on the project, Uriah and his friends started to play. Zeke knew that he shouldn't have gone out of the room but if he didn't, he wouldn't have met Tris at all.

It was mid-afternoon when Zeke got hungry. He didn't want to get out of his room especially since he can hear his little brother playing outside. He might just be a year older but somehow he still thinks what they were doing was childish.

Since he was hungry, he didn't have a choice. He made his way towards the kitchen and took out some oatmeal cookies from the drawer and walked back towards his room. When he got there, a girl was standing at the center which made him jump.

"Sorry to scare you, Mister." the girl said once she turned around and saw him there.

"Have you seen a treasure chest. I must've misplaced it somewhere." He smiled at this and found it cute. She was so immersed by their game that he forgot how childish it sounded. He shook his head.

She sighed which made him disappointed that he couldn't just act with them.

"You must be Uriah's brother. I'm Tris." she said. He nodded, saying "Zeke" quickly after.

"Well then, mister. I must go find the treasure chest before the evil pirate finds it." Zeke just nodded and let her walk out the door.

He lied down on his bed, completely forgetting what he was doing prior to that and stared at the ceiling while eating his cookies.

Zeke couldn't really remember the first time he fell for Tris but that incident was always the first one to come to mind.

Thinking about it now, he couldn't quite fathom where that innocent girl is.

But thinking about it, she really wasn't that innocent to begin with.

* * *

"Zeke?" He looked up.

"Are you alright? I brought you water." Tori said, placing the glass beside him.

"Thank you." He said.

"How are you taking this?" Zeke shook his head, "I don't think I have the right to be dismayed" He said.

"She was your friend too." He smiled at Tori's comment.

"I think everyone already knows that isn't the case on my side." He said. He didn't bother hiding it because everybody already knew anyways, "Except Four." Tori just smiled.

"Why didn't you make a move first though? You knew each other longer."

Zeke stayed silent. He wanted to for a very long time but held himself back because he didn't feel he was good enough to be part of her life that way. As a friend that she needed to lean on he was perfect but as something more, he didn't think Tris would've been happy.

"Maybe I didn't love her as much as Four does, and I don't think I'll make her happy just like Four made her."

"Isn't that love though, foregoing your own happiness in order for her to have hers?" Tori said. She just smiled as she saw Zeke shake her head.

VI.

"Tris and I were classmates in kindergarten." Out of all the friends of Tris, Uriah was the one Tori loved talking too. He was so at ease with everything that you can talk about anything with him. Besides, he seemed to be the one who's handling the situation well. Tori can't stand too much emotion but as a detective she has to deal with it. At least now Uriah is handling the situation very well.

"Go on" Uriah smiled and leaned back into his chair.

"I was a very sociable child. I talked to everyone that entered the room, even stood at the door greeting everyone who passed by. Tris was the last one to enter that first day and the seat beside mine was the only empty seat. When I saw her I knew I can't talk to her. She was quiet and I know those type of quiet people don't like being forced to talk. It's like telling a shy girl to come out of her comfort zone when she's just starting to build her comfort zone. So I didn't talk to her that day, but I did talk to her a week after. I didn't want to, originally. She looked too rich for my taste but it was an emergency. We had a spelling test that day and during the test my pencil broke. I didn't have a sharpener nor an extra pencil."

"So you borrowed from her?" Tori asked. Uriah shook his head. "She lent it to me without me even asking. I took it of course and hurried with the test. She ran out of the room after so I didn't get to bring it back. I always remembered that pencil because it was labeled _TP_ with pink paint at the bottom, just above the eraser. I saw her the next day at a bench and wanted to give it back to her but she said I could keep it. I told her that maybe she might need it and that I bought a box of pencils already. She shook her head and brought out a cake box and opened it showing me a box load of pencils each labeled _TP._ That's when we became friends. Sometimes I would break my pencils, or not bring some and she knows exactly when I need it. I think I still have a couple of those at home. I wondered why she had that many pencils but then I found out that she loves to draw. Her first gift to me was a framed caricature of myself and a spare pencil. I thought the pencil was put there just for fun, but then she told me that that was the pencil she used to draw the caricature with. It felt extra special. It's still beside the photo in my room."

Tori smiled as Uriah relayed their first encounter. He was smiling all the way, not like the moment he entered where he looked down as if the world just ended. Once he finished, the smile became subtle and Tori wondered if it pained him to remember.

"You don't seem as close as you are back then." Tori said.

"Tris became a very different person than the one I met." Uriah said. "Let's say, we had a falling off a couple of years back." He said, as if remembering something.

"What happened?"

"Our personalities just didn't work out and we crashed." He said, the smile completely gone.

VII.

Peter didn't want to talk about how he first met Tris. If everyone's story seems happy, Peter's story is one you can't even tell your grandkids. He sighed as he watched Tori waiting for him to speak.

"Do I have to? You know well enough how we met." Peter said. Tori sighed.

"It's protocol." Tori said.

"If you wanted to hear a nice story, then don't ask mine." Peter said. He didn't want to remember that night. He didn't want to remember the look in Tris' eyes.

He sighed, and seeing as he had no choice, started retelling the story. "I was just on my way home…"

* * *

It was dark out and Peter was walking towards home after finishing a project with one of his classmates. A couple of minutes later, his father texted to wait for him in the park because he just go off work so he sat a bench and waited for his father.

Peter was playing with a fallen tree branch when it started to get darker. His hands started to shake and he felt his bones getting numb. He has this panic attacks before and what happens after this panic attacks is something that he never wants to happen. He becomes impulsive and starts destroying everything around him. One time, they even restrained him on the bed.

He didn't want to do anything harsh so he walked away from the people. He held his hands together in order for them to stay calm. But as soon as a young boy came to him and asked how he was, he knew something will go to far.

"Are you alright? I saw you shaking, I thought I could help you." The next thing Peter knew, he was already on the ground, holding a bloody tree branch, with the boy clutching his eye, with a girl standing in front of them looking curious. He let go of the branch but his hands were already soaked with blood and the girl started running away. He heard her calling for help.

Peter was fiddling with his camera's buttons when he was done telling the story. Tori was scared that he might break it but she knew that over the years Peter was able to at least control his sickness. She remembered that story far too well. It was the first incident his father talked about behind her back, and the student body talked about in whispers. But she heard it still. How a young boy stabbed someone's eye out with a fallen tree branch.

* * *

"Peter" Tori approached.

"I'm a murderer." Peter said. Tori felt bad. "You didn't kill anyone." Tori said. _You stopped yourself just in time._ She wanted to add.

"I killed his dreams. Maybe that's why Tris never talked to me." Peter said.

"Because she's scared of you?" Tori asked. Peter shook his head. He saw the way Tris looked. She wasn't scared at all. She seemed calm and overwhelmed by the situation. She even took a step forward but Peter told her to run and call for help. To be honest, he was more scared of her than of himself that night.

"She was scared of herself, because she knew if she wanted to, she can be capable of murder too."

VIII.

You clutch your hands, while splashing yourself with water every now and then hoping that when you open your eyes, everything will be better. You hear people walk pass the bathroom you're at. Some try to even open it but somehow they leave after knowing it was locked. Maybe some wonder if there's are people smoking inside again, but they just ignore the locked door. As you sit there on the bathroom floor, you can't help but wonder how you and Tris seem to always see each other. You were always there where she was.

You remember the first time you saw her at a supermarket, trying to pluck an apple from the pile but she was too small so you came up and helped her. Knowing that the city was too big for a small kid like you, you forgot about her because you know you'll never see her again but coincidentally, you were both in the same kindergarten class. You sat behind her, but she never remembered you as the person who helped her get the apple from the rack. But when you were partnered with her for a school project together with Uriah, you knew she remembered you far too well. Just after kindergarten, you remained acquaintances but you moved into another neighborhood, not knowing that that neighborhood is where she lived as well. When you look out of your window, you would always see her playing football with the boy next door though you never took a chance to play with them because you were too shy to go out of the house. Besides, your mother might kill you if you come back into the house with a red mark on your arms; you were too pale for your own good. You were also there when you saw a kid at the park shaking on the ground, clutching his hair in his arms. You wanted to go and check but your friends beat you to it, so you watched as he got stabbed in the eye, thankful that it wasn't you that was there.

You never saw her again, until before middle school where you apparently went to the same camp together, and even to the same school after.

You were always with Tris for _her_ whole life.

You can't believe that even in her death, you'll be the last one with her.

You sigh and turn the recorder back on.

You know that this is more for her sake than yours.

What you did was cruel, so you decide to end it like this.

 _"Friday night. Around 22:00. I was on my way home when I saw Tris near the bridge…"_

* * *

 **A/N**

 **If you're still reading this it means that you accepted Tris' death. Next chapter will be Tris' POV of Friday night.**

 **I thought that after writing two short stories and 7 poems for my Creative Writing class it'll be easier to write anything else after. I was wrong.**

 **Anyways, if you have anything to say, the review box is just there.**

 **-eloise.  
**

 **(PS. Edited since I saw lots of typos. HAHA. Anyways, I might be uploading the next chapter in a while. Probably after my exam tomorrow, hopefully.)**


	5. I Chapter 4

**A/N**

 **I read an article one day that said that the length of time when you reply depends on how your relationship on the person your texting. Like, if you're really close means that you reply faster. (I didn't believe this at first but then it kind of made sense.)**

 **I am an aspiring neuro scientist so I read this kinds of things even though it doesn't seem like it really relates much, but it does, apparently.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

 **Part I.** Chapter 4

 **TRIS POV**

Friday

06|10|2-

* * *

 _'Just got home, thanks for the great night. ;). See you same day next week?'_

 **from: Tris**

 **sent 06:32**

 _'See you. ;)'_

 **from: Unknown Number**

 **sent 06:37**

* * *

Caleb was tuning his guitar in the dining area, while Mother was cooking and Father was preparing for work. The Prior residence seemed normal, happy to say the least but the air felt rather constrained, as if the motions of the family were held by a rope and there's too much tension. A little move and it might break.

"Caleb, go wake up your sister." Caleb sighed, put his guitar down and made it towards the second floor, whispering under his breath, "If there's even someone in the room." He said, walking towards Tris' bedroom.

As expected, from the years of sleeping beside Tris' bedroom, he knew the sound of a window opening and closing even though others might not hear.

"Where'd you go of to this time?" Caleb said leaning onto the doorframe, watching her sister hassle around. Tris cursed. She looked at her brother and shrugged,

"Just had a little fun." she said, winking after.

"Uh-uh, while Four was here the whole night worrying where you were. I had to force him to leave just to make sure mom and dad buys the story that you came back." Tris looked guilty and Caleb was, again, disappointed.

"You were with another guy? I thought you were done with that, Tris. You have a boyfriend who would kill for you." Caleb said. Though he didn't like the way their relationship ran, Four was every girl's dream and every man's goal. He was always gentle with Tris even though she isn't. Laughs at her joke no matter how _corny_ they are, and he was always there for Tris even if she's not. He would bend over backwards just to see that she's okay, travel miles to come pick her up, sleep up late if she needed someone to talk to and Caleb hated how Tris just threw that away.

"I just had a few to drink, nothing much happened." Tris said, trying to defend herself. Caleb rolled her eyes.

"How long will you realize that someone is already perfect for you? How long will you take him for granted?" Caleb asked.

"Shut up! You sound like mom right now. Stop concerning yourself about me." Tris said, obviously getting annoyed. She hated how people always made her feel guilty about Four. If only they knew the sacrifices she makes for him and for their relationship. Caleb didn't argue because he knew that Tris was going to victimize herself again. She always loved the attention whether it was because of something good or bad, though recently, it's mostly the bad stories that she's buying into.

"At least someone in this household still concerns themselves about you." Tris couldn't say anything. Ever since the divorce papers kept coming, the house felt more and more like hotel and each member of the family were just staying guest. They wouldn't even bat an eye to each other.

"Get yourself fixed. We'll be having breakfast in a while." Caleb said before voices rise again. Just before he closes the door behind him, he hears Tris hiccupping and it just pains him to know that she's crying. Though she always put herself in harms' way, emotionally, she still had too soft of a heart. _She was still a child._ Caleb thought though he knew he hadn't had much experience with life himself.

After grabbing some bread and juice from the table, Tris dashed out of the house, taking her car with her even though she's still grounded to even drive. Her parents wouldn't even notice. They never do. At least these times they didn't. Caleb noticed and quickly said good bye to his parents though they never dared to listen. They waved him off, and grabbing his guitar and car keys off the table, he stalked after Tris.

* * *

 _'My brother's being an ass again. Anyways, I'm on my way to school. What about you? Will drop by Coffee Hub. Want anything?'_

 **from: Tris**

 **sent 07:15**

 _'The usual. Just got on the bus. Just meet you at schoo,l I guess? Heard you've been partying the whole night, where'd you go?'_

 **from: Christina**

 **sent 07:17**

 _'Where'd you hear that from? I've just been around.'_

 **from: Tris**

 **sent 07:18**

 _'Four. He's been looking for you everywhere last night.'_

 **from: Christina**

 **sent 07:20**

 _'Ughh, give me a break.'_

 **from: Tris**

 **sent 07:22**

 _'Give some credit where it's due'_

 **from: Christina**

 **sent 07:25**

 _';)'_

 **from: Tris**

 **sent 07:26**

* * *

As Tris walked into the school after parking, she already saw Christina at her locker, laughing. She was with someone, and surprise surprise it was Will. Tris couldn't help but snicker at the very obvious situation her friends were in. If it was Tris' choice, she would have shoved them inside the room until they confess everything to each other. But Tris ignored her thoughts and just walked towards their side. She knew both sides of the story well enough, how each side liked the other but because Will had limitations and Christina was too reserved, they didn't have a choice but to stay _friends._ If anything, they're acting like they aren't.

"Here you go." Tris said, giving Christina her mocha caramel and some breadsticks, once she got to where they were.

"Thank you." Christina said. Will leaned slightly forward. Small, yet noticeable at the same time.

"None for me?" he asked. His voice should've sounded hurt but in a way, it sounded flirtatious and Christina didn't miss the hint. Will was so comfortable around Tris that he could do these things around her, and Christina's heart started aching. She knew that it shouldn't matter. Will never held exceptions on who he'll have to date, besides those day have to wait until he graduates the University and Christina knows that Will would never go after someone with a boyfriend, much less Tris but their little intimate moment made Christina feel a tinged guilty.

"Here, have some breadsticks." Will got one from Tris' pack and Christina regretted not offering earlier. "Anyways, I have to go. See you at lunch?" Will said, shouldering his bag and licking the left off sugar on his fingers. Both girls nodded and watched Will walk away slowly being engulf by the people.

"You're absolutely hopeless for him." Tris said to Christina. "Just tell him how you feel, already." Tris urged. Christina just smiled hoping that it would hide away the ache that she kept feeling in her heart.

"It's not that easy." Christina said. Tris rolled her eyes. She was then about to link her arms with Christina when the latter girl excused herself.

"I have to fix the lab materials in Chemistry. See you at lunch?" She said, though she really just wanted to get away and think to herself. Tris shrugged and walked around waiting for the bell to ring, and hoping that she could find her boyfriend by then.

* * *

 _'Tris is on the way to the field. Are you practicing?'_

 **from: Zeke**

 **sent 09:42**

 _'Yeah, where are you, anyways?'_

 **from: Four**

 **sent 09:45**

 _'Does she have anything to tell me?_

 **from: Four**

 **sent 09:46**

 _'I'm on my way._

 _She's your girlfriend, does she need to have a reason to see you?'_

 **from: Zeke**

 **sent 09:49**

 _'She really isn't acting like one, recently.'_

 **from: Four**

 **sent 09:52**

 _'Well, if you'd want to stay with her, fix whatever's going on. You know how many guys want to have her.'_

 **from: Zeke**

 **sent 09:54**

 _'Yeah, lucky me, right?'_

 **from: Four**

 **sent 09:55**

 _'Yeah, lucky you!'_

 **from: Zeke**

 **saved as draft 10:02**

* * *

When Tris got to the field during the first break, she knew that she'd see Four. She stood at the corner, near the bleachers and squinted her eyes against the sun's light to look for Four. She didn't actually know why she had to find him, it's just that it was what she always does. She sighed and climbed the bleachers, taking her book out of her bag. She looked over the field and saw Zeke carrying one football on either arm, waiting for the players to get ready to shoot the ball into the post; it was his job to defend it anyways,

Her phone rings.

 _"Hey, where are you? My 3rd period got cancelled_." Tris hears from the other line once she answered the call. It was the Christina.

 _"I'm at the field. Going here?"_ Tris asked, flipping a page of her book.

 _"Yeah sure. Wait for me_." Christina said, and Tris hung up as soon as she saw Four running towards her. In the first parts of their relationship, Tris loved seeing Four run to her in her football uniform, all dirty and the like. It never occurred to her that after seeing him everyday doing that, it'll eventually get relatively normal, and not something she looked forward to seeing every morning. But in all sense, she still loved seeing Four playing. That was something she couldn't get use to- how his passion for the sport always ignited every game and it's as if the fire just kept burning.

When Four was approaching, she could still see him smiling, and she hoped that he wouldn't bring up last night.

"Hey!" Four said once he reached the bleacher one step lower from Tris. He knelt down and looked up at her.

"How are you?" he asked. It amused him every time he watches her squinting her eyes under the sun. "I'm fine. My fourth period got cancelled so I'll be free until lunch." she tells him, looping her arms around his neck.

"Do you want to have lunch together?" asked Four. Tris shook her head making Four pout and making Tris laugh.

"Well, you hate eating inside the campus for lunch and I kind of don't want to go out." Tris said. Four rested his head on Tris' knees and mumbled, "Yeah, I kind of don't want to go out too. I just want to sleep" Tris ruffled his hair making him look up. "Could I meet you after class? We haven't been going out together for a while." Tris sighed and thought that he might bring up last night. "Sure." she said.

Suddenly, Zeke was calling Four across the field to tell them that they have to resume practice. Four leaned in to kiss her and she kissed him back hoping that maybe something could spark that dying fire in her heart again-hoping that she would have a reason to stay in the relationship-but it all just felt dry.

Four ran back to the field and Tris watched him go.

"Well, that was awkward." Tris looks to her side and see Christina clutching her back.

"Been there long?" Tris asked. Christina shrugged. "Not at all." She smiled and sat beside Tris. "How are you two, anyways?" Christina asked, removing a paper bag from her bag. She passes a sandwich to Tris which Tris refuses, saying she wasn't really hungry. Christina tucks it back in the plastic bag in case Tris _does_ become hungry.

"I like to think that we're fine." Tris said, "It just seems so different, all of a sudden. Seems like there isn't love there anymore." Tris admitted. Christina gently nudged her leg with hers. "I still see love there. You just have to accept, Tris that it's not always going to be honeymoon stage." Christina said, making Tris shrug though Christina could see that Tris was thinking about it. She sighs and continues eating her sandwich.

"Want to hang out after class?" Tris offered. Christina shook her head. "Have to help mom at the shop. Besides, aren't you going out with Four?" Christina asked. Tris ignored her question, instead looked back to the field hoping that it wouldn't show that she didn't really want to go out tonight. A first, dare she say it.

* * *

 _'Dropping by your book in a while, where are you?'_

 **from: Tris**

 **sent 16:02**

 _'Been looking for that book in a while. I'm at the garage.'_

 **from: Will**

 **sent 16:08**

 _'Sorry about that. I've haven't had time to read it. I just finished it now.'_

 **from: Tris**

 **sent 16:10**

 _'It's alright. Just drop it off here. :)'_

 **from: Will**

 **sent 16: 17**

* * *

"Sorry for the delay." Tris said as she made her way besides Will. Tris never got used to Will's garage. It was his personal music studio and though it was organized in a way, there was too much stuff that you couldn't even move about. _It's his anyways._ Tris thought.

"How was it?" Will asked, fixing himself on top of a hard case in order for Tris to sit down beside him.

"It was -" Will rose his brow watching Tris carefully planning what she's going to say next. "Informative" Will just smiled. He took the risk of letting Tris read the book but he knew that he made the right choice. It'll help her one way or another.

"Didn't like it?" Will asked.

"It isn't that. It's just, for someone who really doesn't have a dream for herself, it's kind of hard to understand." Tris said, making Will just smile again.

"Believe me, you have more dreams than you can imagine." Will said, and he continued to strum his guitar.

Will was a musician. He would always have bring his guitar to school even and play it during lunch outside the cafeteria. Christina loved hearing him play, even if she was hearing it from a far. It'll be rare circumstances that Will allows people to hear him play, though everybody does he pretends that nobody hears him. That's why Christina always volunteered when her mom would tell her to drop by Will's house to give the pastor some food, just so that she could hear him play.

But when Christina passed by today, she didn't hear him playing, instead she heard him laughing with a voice too familiar that her heart ache. Suddenly, she wished she wasn't there. But she'd rather face this than face the silent disappointment of her mother for letting her emotions get the better of her.

She knocked.

"Hey, Christina." Will said once she saw her with a voice that ached her heart to hear.

"Mom just wanted me to drop this by." she said, handing out the plastic bag to Will. Will looked at it, even though he already knows what's inside. "Hmm, my favorite." he said, making Christina blush.

"Anyways, I've got to go." Christina suddenly said. She didn't want to be here, even when Tris was already looking at her as if encouraging her to stay.

"You're going? You usually stay for a while longer." Will said with a hint of disappointment in his voice. Nobody seemed to notice. "Didn't you want to hear the new song?" Will asked. He was feeling something inside him and he just didn't want her to go.

"I'll listen to it next time. I have somewhere to go. You guys enjoy yourselves." Tris heard the jealousy in Christina's voice. Will didn't seem to have heard it but he just let her leave. She sighed and ran for Christina ignoring Will's plea to just let her go. A couple of blocks away, Christina stopped.

"Tine?" Christina hated when Tris called her that. It was her nickname back at camp when Tris couldn't get her name right and just called her Christine, then eventually Tine. That nickname reminded her too much of the Tris she knew she would never get back. That girl was gone, and what replaced her was this outgoing girl never caring about life.

"What Tris?" Suddenly her anger was boiling. Everything that was hidden and pushed away just came back. "You couldn't be satisfied with Four so you're targeting Will now?" Christina knew that she wasn't true. But today, she was the victim, not Tris. "You know how I feel about him, Tris. Yet still you continue to flirt with him in front of me" Christina knows that what she's saying isn't at all right and she knows that she'll eventually say sorry to Tris later but right now, she just feels so hurt. She knew it wasn't Tris' faults. Suddenly all her hate towards herself just came out and all her anger and anxiety just got directed at Tris. "I don't even know who you are anymore." But this was true. Out of everything she said, she meant this.

"Christina?" Suddenly Will was behind Tris though Tris hasn't noticed him yet. Christina sighed and wipes the tears from her face. "I have to go." she says in a whispers and runs. This time, Tris doesn't follow her.

"Tris?" Will whispers. She doesn't turn around. "Do you want to talk about it?" Tris just follows the trail where Christina ran through even though she couldn't see her anymore. She was stuck in the place Christina unintentionally put her in. She shakes her head.

"I have somewhere to go." she said, and turned around, walking past Will. Will sighs. He never had experience with girls with so much. I mean he was close with a lot of them but the girls in church didn't have this much drama. When he got back to the garage, Tris' things was gone, as if she hadn't came up at all. She even took back the book.

* * *

 _'Christina, come on, talk to me!'_

 **from: Tris**

 **sent 17:23**

 _'Please. Let's just talk about this.'_

 **from: Tris**

 **sent 17:25**

 _'It's not what you think, believe me.'_

 **from: Tris**

 **sent 17:28**

 _'Christina, please'_

 **from: Tris**

 **sent 17:29**

 _'I forgive you.'_

 **from: Christina**

 **sending 17:33**

 _'Fine, be that way. You'll come crawling back anyways.'_

 **from: Tris**

 **sent 17:33**

 _'I forgive you.'_

 **from: Christina**

 **saved as draft 17:34**

* * *

Tris had been staring outside the window for a while now, holding her coffee cup on one hand, while the other held her phone. Ever since Four picked her up near a soccer field in Will's neighborhood, she seemed fazed. Four didn't want to ask for fear of it not "being his business" but still, he worried.

"So, how was your day?" Four tried to start. He wanted this day to be perfect in a sense because he noticed how much Tris was changing, and how their relationship was getting tiring. It's as if the wall was falling down and he was the only one willing to hold it up to keep it from falling, yet Tris kept leaning onto it, making it harder to hold.

Four sighs when she didn't answer.

This caused Tris to shift.

She knew Four wanted so badly to save the relationship even though she can see that there's an unlikely chance that he can. The wall was already broken yet he's still trying to rebuild it.

"It was ordinary, surprisingly" Tris said, hoping that it can make Four happy to hear her answer. In a way, she still wanted to make her happy, but saving the relationship was not an option.

"Oh, that's a first." Four knew her day wasn't at all boring. He kind of assumed that whatever is bothering Tris, it was something she never expected to happen.

Again, the silence.

Four sipped from his coffee. Everything around him felt so at ease yet in their table the tension was overwhelming.

Four closely watched Tris in the corner of his eye. She had her head leaned onto her arm that was rested on the table, and the other hand was twirling the coffee stirrer really slowly. She was looking outside the window but her gazed didn't really reach that far. She was distracted. She was thinking of something. Four stopped himself from cursing. He missed the days where he was able to tell what Tris was thinking of.

She removed her phone from her pocket. Four watched her fingers hover over her phone, scrolling at something, probably a message. She started typing and instinctively taking her coat and her bag.

"Tris?" Four said, before she could start leaving.

"What?" She asked, distracted. "Where are you going?" Four asked. His anger was getting the best of him. He was trying to keep his cool.

"Oh. I have to go somewhere." Tris said, as if this was just a normal friend date that she could go anywhere.

Four looked at his watch. It was 5:48. Four sighs.

"Tris, we just got here." Four said, still keeping his temper in check.

"I just have somewhere to go. We can hang out later." Tris said, shouldering her bag and readying herself to leave. She leaned down for a kiss but just before she was successful in doing so, he whispered, "You always ran away."

Tris stood up and looked at Four. She knew what he was talking about but she couldn't believe it would come from him.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, acting oblivious but her insides where twisting into a tight know that she couldn't get herself to breath.

"You always ran away from everything." Four repeated, this time a little bit louder. The people on the table beside them started whispering and trying to avert their gazes knowing that someone was fighting. The worse time to be is when a couple starts fighting.

"I'm just going somewhere Four, wh-"

"You're running away from what can eventually a serious conversation with me. You're feeling the tension and you know that I might bring something up you don't want to hear. I wasn't going to bring up last night because I knew how sad you where knowing that yesterday was the first time your parents met a lawyer for their divorce. I didn't bring up the fact that you were out the whole night because as your boyfriend I'm not suppose to mind right?" Four said. Tris looked at him and suddenly she felt like the villain. She didn't know that Four felt like this, or maybe she did and she just refused to accept it.

"I've been trying my best, Tris, to save this relationship because I want to be with you. I want this to last. I want you to know that. But you're not even trying." Tris was starting to tear up now, but Four wasn't done. "I even tried to overlook what you did last May just for you." Tris gasped, silently yet audible to Four's ears and this made him stop. There are the rare moments when Tris gets silent, and when she does it's not really a good sign. Four hated that he'd be one of those people to force her to silence.

"I didn't kill her." Tris voice was loud, and angry, but most of all scared; by this time the people around the café are silent. Though they tried to act normally again, they couldn't. There curiosity got the best of them. They were trying to overhear, whispering under their breaths. Some people started taking out their phones, subtly taking pictures or tweeting this incident.

Tris shouldn't have said that.

Four shouldn't have brought it up.

It was a battle of piercing gazes in this deadly silence.

Tris knew that she said wrong. People who heard about murder usually perked their ears, and listened more intently. Tris started chanting to herself that she didn't kill her. Uriah would know, he was there.

Four was tired and the wall he was trying to save is getting heavier. Somehow, he just wanted to let go. But he didn't. So as soon as Tris started to run away again, he chased her.

* * *

 _'Did Tris send you the article about the fair already?'_

 **from: Uriah (EIC)**

 **sent 17:25**

 _'Yeah. I'll forward the pictures to you, later.'_

 **from: Peter**

 **sent 17:27**

 _'Alright. When you see Tris, could you remind her about the article about Eric. He's still on trial for that drug raid, right? I need that article.'_

 **from: Uriah (EIC)**

 **sent 17:30**

 _'Aye aye, captain'_

 **from: Peter**

 **sent 17:31**

* * *

Peter put down his phone and watched as the people go in and out his father's mini market. It was rather a slow day and people didn't seem to need anything. It was alright though because it didn't force him to concentrate on every person that enters the shop, or at their shoes, or the type of sweater they wear, or even the items that they touch and get or return. His father always told him that the shop will always be safe because he was always the one that's overseeing it. It was all these little things and appreciation that Peter liked about having this sickness. It's as if nothing is entirely bad in something so cruel.

But there are things that Peter hated, especially when his mind forces him to listen to people he doesn't want to hear.

Like the fighting couple outside the mart whom he knows far too well.

Peter tried focusing on other things but their voices were too loud. A lot of people were shuffling around them but you can notice that they were also intrigued albeit it being none of their business.

 _"Why are you insinuating that I murdered her?"_ This piqued Peter's interest. He never told anyone what really happened that night a couple of years ago, with the bloody tree branch. He knew that if he told the truth, Tris would've been scarier. Tris attracted enough anything, beautiful as she is, but she also has an aura of mystery around her, and that's why people wanted to know everything about her. Admitting a murder in front of a lot of people like this, or even talking about one won't help anyone, especially not herself.

 _'Why do you keep bringing that up, Tris? I'm not saying you have.'_ Peter forced himslef not to listen but the voices outside were getting louder and louder in his ears and the words kept ringing in his head. He was already touching the buttons of the cash registers causing other people to look at him.

"Sorry. Kind of stressed." he said to avert the eyes of the customers. He took out his camera from below the counter and started taking pictures of things in the shop- people, objects and even when the door closes and opens. He had to divert his attention because he knew it wasn't his business, or his best interest to eavesdrop on whatever Tris and Four are fighting about, _again._ In wasn't an unknown fact that the Four and Six- as some call her- tandem had been fighting a lot for the couple of weeks. You would actually feel the radiating anger coming out of them even if they were acting all fine. Peter wondered why people like that could stay together. _Weren't the fights exhausting?_ He thought to himself. But he just shrugged it off; maybe that's the reason he hasn't really fallen in love yet. But thinking to himself, if that's what love's going to be, he'd rather not have it.

Just as the shouting from outside ceased, and Peter was just taking a picture of the door opening, Tris Prior walked in. His breath hitched though he didn't know why.

She went straight to the refrigerator at the left side of the stage and got a soda in can, like she always does. Peter gets ready with the tissue paper with the straw.

"Hey, Peter." Tris says. _Why was she talking to me?_ She would usually get her tissues and straw and walk out, to meet someone outside. But maybe today she decided to stay because usually the one that waits for her is now driving away.

"Hello." he answers as casually as possible.

She smiles, and slides her payment. Not exact. Like always. Peter couldn't remember when he started noticing this kinds of things about her, not like he actually wanted to care.

"How are you, anyways?" she asks as she slides the change back to her. He didn't get to answer because she suddenly says, "See you at school." before she gets to wave goodbye, he remembers what Uriah asked him to say if ever he saw Tris.

"Tris, the article about Eric, by the way." He shouted. She looked back. "Right, I'll send it to Uriah tonight." she says and walks out of the mart.

"I'm fine, by the way. Thanks for asking." he says under his breath as he wonders what compelled Tris to talk to him.

* * *

 _'Her body was found. You have to be here.'_

 **from: Uriah**

 **sent 17:43**

 _'I'll be right there.'_

 **from: Tris**

 **sent 17:48**

* * *

Tris saw Uriah standing outside a hospital's morgue room. She didn't want to go especially after her fight with Four regarding this very night but then she didn't want to look like a coward to Uriah. He already lost so much.

When she got closer to him, she gasped as she saw the dead body inside the room. Uriah snickered.

Once he saw the body all hate towards Tris suddenly ignited again and he can't bear to see her. The only reason why he asked her to come is so that she can see what she did, or as a matter of fact, see the result of what she didn't do.

"Are you finally satisfied?" Uriah said. Tris looked at Uriah in shock.

"What are you talking about?" Tris asked. She was totally confused.

"This is what they did to her. This is what happened when you didn't stop them." Tris couldn't say anything. He knew. He knew she was there, right? She stayed there. But that's thing, she just stood there even when they carried her away.

"it's not my fault." Tris whispered but she didn't believe and Uriah laughed. He had the right to laugh at her. She wished that he'll just laugh at her.

"Where isn't it your fault? Tell me, so we can move on and just laugh about this." Uriah's voice was pleading, as if he really did want her to tell him that this wasn't her fault.

But Tris couldn't tell. To be honest, she blamed herself as well.

"I want to forgive you, Tris but I can't." Uriah said. "You had so many moments where you could've done right, but you never did. Instead you forgot about her."

 _She never did._ Tris always remembered that night. It still haunted her in her sleep.

"I hope you realize that you just lost a friend. Tris, not everyone likes you." Tris knew that and she wanted to cry but not in front of Uriah. She didn't have the right to cry in fron of Uriah. Especially, not here, not today.

* * *

 _'Pick me up?'_

 **from: Tris**

 **sent 20:22**

 _'Where?'_

 **from: Zeke**

 **sent 20:23**

 _'At the bar near Café La Tea'_

 **from: Tris**

 **sent 20:26**

 _'On my way.'_

 **from: Zeke**

 **sent 20:27**

* * *

"How much did you drink?" Zeke asked as she help her walk towards his apartment. He didn't live with Uriah and his parents anymore because of a serious incident nobody forgot so he bought his own apartment.

"Not enough to make me forget." Tris said, slumping down on the chair. She opened up her arms and motioned Zeke forward. Once he sat beside her, she put her arms around him, making him worried. He didn't want this to happen. He did but she wasn't his to touch.

"I should have chose you." She whispered, too close to her hear that he can feel her breath on her neck making him shiver. Tris noticed and she laughed.

"Tris, I have to make you coffee." Zeke said, trying to pry himself away from Tris. He just didn't want to be too close to her in fear that he might do something he'll regret later on, and officially destroy his friendship with Four.

"Stay here." Tris said and to make sure he doesn't leave, she sits on his lap and places her forehead on top of his. Zeke sighed and willed himself not to be tempted.

Tris touched his face, carefully. She touched his hair, passed his fingers through his face, towards his neck and Zeke just stood there, clenching his fist to concentrate on anything else other than Tris on his lap. He wanted to kiss her just there but he didn't want to destroy his friendship. When he kisses Tris now, not only will he not get her, but he'll also lost his best friend, so just before Tris could successfully tug of his shirt, he removed her from his lap and sat on the other side of the sofa.

"I'm sorry, Tris." he said.

"I thought you liked me?" Tris said. She sounded so desperate for something and Four hated that he couldn't give that to her.

"I do. But you're dating my best friend. This can't happen, Tris." Zeke said. "I'll make you your coffee." Zeke said.

"No, I'll get going. I should go home." she said. "Are you sure? Let me drive you." He said. She shakes her head.

"It's fine, I'll call Caleb." she told him. He nods.

"I'll walk you out then." Zeke said. She shook her head. "No need, I've sobered up a little. I'll be fine."

Zeke watched her go and he locked the door behind her but somehow he still couldn't shake the feeling that he should be making sure she was safe but he stayed in his apartment because she just might get angrier when he follows her.

* * *

 _'Caleb, where are you? I need to talk to you.'_

 **from: Tris**

 **sent 21:01**

 _'Call me later. There's this girl. I'll tell you about her later.'_

 **from: Caleb**

 **sent 21:12**

* * *

Tris puts down her phone and wonder why every one around her is having fun and she just feels dreadful. She was already crying and just walking around the city. It's true though that she sobered up, because she could think clearly now and everything seems to be coming back to her. She hated this day. What did she do to get this day? She sighed and walked towards a place where she knew she can think. She heard the waves underneath her and somehow she thinks that it's better to just end everything here.

She was bad luck.

Nobody seemed to like her anyways.

* * *

 _'You just have to hit her head. Not strong enough to kill her, just strong enough to make her bleed.'_

 **from: Unknown Number**

 **sent 21:54**

* * *

"I could just throw myself over the bridge." Tris whispered to herself.

"Do you really want to?" Tris jumped and looked behind her to see Al. She smiled. Somehow, she wanted someone to see her as she is and not the evil girl she became.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "I saw you walking and thought you might need someone to talk to." He lied. He was here because he had a task to carry out and he really didn't know how to do it.

"Want to walk, or talk?" Al asked. He had to get her away. He didn't want to do this in front of the people.

"Both, I guess." she said and then she started walking making him follow after her.

* * *

"It was May, three years ago. School ended early so summer was just starting and that means there'd be tons of parties. I fell for the charm of a frat man- Eric; ironic how I'm righting an article about his case. Anyways, they had a party. Frat men usually invite dates not based on their relationship with them but what they look like and they decided to hit on high school girls. Eric invited me and I was so naïve that I went with him. Max brought Marlene and I knew her of course, she was Uriah's girl friend that time. Of course, he might not have known that she was there. Just before the party started, since I got there early, Eric decided to bring me with him to the frat meeting and they decided to play a prank on the new girl- Marlene. At first it was just a really shallow prank until it happened in front of me. It was around midnight when Max lured her towards the center of the maze. I was there, watching with them and the other frat people were surrounding her. She didn't see them of course, she was so engrossed by Max. Suddenly, he started kissing her and then they started removing each others clothes and we just watched them. When they were _"done"_ the boys started to show themselves. One by one they touched her. I watched them as they touched her, assaulted her and I wanted to say something. By the time they were done, she was bruised and bleeding. Then Uriah was there, crying holding her in his arms. It was heart breaking to see. She was still alive enough to tell him I was there and I wished she hadn't but I guess, she had all the rights. I don't think she intended for him to hate me but that's what happened. Uriah called for help leaving her there for a while but the boys went back and dragged her body away. I don't know how she died. If she died while they were dragging her away or they did something else but when Uriah came back, I was the one he saw. He saw the blood on the ground but no Marlene, but he did see me. I was scared. For the first time I was scared so I ran back to the house. I made love to Eric that time but all I could think about was what happened hours ago. After that, I started dating Four, maybe because I wanted to felt innocent, and I started to forget but I never realized Uriah was hurting that bad."

Tris stayed silent and waited for Al to say something but he didn't. Instead he just stayed there, arm over her shoulder.

He didn't how he did it.

He just did. Tris was bleeding under him and he had blood in his hands then throwing her over he bridge. He texted Eric to tell him the job was done and then he ran.

* * *

Tris was alive. She started crawling out of the water feeling the bump in her head. She couldn't remember where she was or why she was under the bridge anyways.

"You just wouldn't die, huh. I hate to be the one to end you." Tris looked up and saw someone she wished she never would see again, but she did.

 _Eric._

* * *

 **A/N**

 **She really is dead.**

 **Anyways, one thing I want to say is that we really do have a cafe in the Philippines named Cafe La Tea.**

 **Next, this is actually a really short story, in terms of chapters. I might just be 8-10 chapters long. I actually wanted it to be until we find out who killed her but that's a bad ending so I decided to stretch it a little to weeks after she dies.**

 **Third, I don't know when I'll update again because finals week is in two weeks and after that my first semester will start again. No rest. T.T**

 **Anyways, if you like that, follow and favorite.**

 **And enlighten the review button. It's looking lonely :3**

 _ **-Eloise**_


	6. Part II

**It's Quiet Uptown**

There are moments that the words don't reach

There is a grace too powerful to name

We push away what we can never understand

We push away the unimaginable

They are standing in the garden

Alexander by Eliza's side

She takes his hand

It's quiet uptown

 _Hamilton_


	7. II Chapter 5

**A/N  
**

 **Any Hamilton fans out there?**

 **I'm a bit sleepy so I don't know what to put in this Author's Note.**

 **Anyways, enjoy part 2 :)**

* * *

 **Part II.** Chapter 5

 **PRESENT DAY**

I.

You close your eyes and then walk out of the comfort room just before the bell rings, leaving the recorder behind. You make your way towards your locker in order not to arouse any suspicion.

Then the bell rings. You make sure not to look suspicious even though you'll probably get ushered to the station later.

"Hey Al, where have you been?" Your friend comes up to you. You shake your head.

"I felt sick. Just rested." You tell her, though you know she might not believe you, you still don't bother to change your story.

"For the whole day? You could've went home." she says. You shrug, hooked your arm around hers and then walk towards the entrance.

"Oh, have you heard what happened to Tris?" You feel a chill pass through your spine and then almost stopped at your tracks but then that would just invite more questions. So you continue walking as she continued talking.

You wouldn't have to listen anyways; you already know the whole story.

"I mean, brutal. _Et tu brute."_ You stop as if you didn't hear her right. You look at her, not understanding. You understood the reference but didn't understand why it was important to mention.

"What are you talking about?" You ask her stopping her in her tracks. She stops abruptly. She looks at you and crooks her brow, then grins.

"You haven't heard. Queen Bee is dead. Stabbed to death." She said and then somebody started talking to her and then you are left there shocked and you feel your blood getting cold. Your heart was racing. Your mind was thrumming with muted noise. The last time you saw Tris you just pushed her off the bridge. You don't remember anything about stabbing. No. _How could she have been stabbed_? You think to yourself. You suddenly think you've done something wrong. You should've stayed quiet. You curse yourself at how stupid you are. You always jumped into action and never took your time. You want to run back to the comfort room to retrieve the recorder. You turn but the see the Tori and another police man talking to a student, with the recorder on his hand. You choke and then turn around, wanting to get away. But you decide to go home, warn your mother and wait for the police to pick you up so you rush out of the school.

"Al, where are you going?" Your friend calls but you ignore her calls and focus on getting home.

You run towards your home but with the number of people going out of their house you know that you're too late. You see the Prior's getting out of their house, Andrew holding onto Natalie, something you hadn't seen for a long time. On front of your house is your mother crying, begging the policeman that you had nothing to do with a murder but then she sees you and cries out for you. You give up. You have no where to go so when the policemen walk towards you, you raise your hand, and let them shackle you and usher you towards the car.

II.

Caleb leans onto his locker when someone walks towards him, holding a box of things. He raises his brow and then notices the jacket he gave Tris, or rather, the jacket Tris took from his closet peeking out from the box and he understood exactly what those were.

"I'm sorry for your loss." she said. Caleb just nods and wonder what her name is. Tris probably knows who she is.

He walks out of the door, ignoring the calls from the people asking how he is. He doesn't feel like talking to anyone. When he gets out to the parking lot, people ignore him, maybe getting the hint that he really doesn't want anyone talking to him. When he gets to his car someone was leaning onto it.

"Hey." Caleb smiles, seeing who it was.

"Oh!" She jumps not noticing Caleb was there. Seeing her lightens something inside of him but he still feels the throbbing ache of where Tris once was.

"Aren't you going to go home with Will?" Caleb asked. "Ah, well, he's occupied." Cara says pointing forward. Caleb looks around and see Will with Christina.

"Your dad alright with that?" Caleb asked. Cara shrugged.

"He was the one who encouraged it." Cara said

"I think he wants him to be happy despite the circumstance" she added and then looked at Caleb, really looked at him. She saw the sadness in his face and she just wanted to reach out to him and comfort him but she was scared that he might not want her to.

Due to the silence, he walks to the back of his car. He opens the trunk to load Tris' things, and then walks back to where Cara was standing.

"You want to go get some ice cream?" Caleb asked her. She uncrossed her arms and looked at him, then asked, "Are you sure?" Caleb nodded and so Cara nodded too.

* * *

"There was one time that Tris forgot to get her lunch money on top of the table and we weren't studying in the same school back then…" Cara listened to all the stories that Caleb was saying and it hurt her somehow that maybe he was acting alright, she wanted to see when he was going to break.

Then he stopped talking and looked at the horizon. The sun was just setting and Cara smiled. It was so cliché, the situation, that she couldn't help but feel amused.

"Caleb," she started, "it's alright if you want to talk about other things rather than Tris." Cara said.

Caleb shook his head, "I want to talk about her. I want people to know that she isn't at all bad, I want the people to now that she had a good in her too." Caleb said.

"Besides, who's going to tell her story now she's gone?" and so Cara listened.

III.

"Hey, Peter." Peter looked back and saw Uriah trailing after him. He knew that Uriah would probably just ask about the school paper, or complain about the pictures that he took the other day. To be honest, he didn't want any of these. The day was hard enough to face, alone, even if he wasn't in present any class in particular, none of them were.

"Uriah, I-" before he can say something, Uriah said something that he didn't expect. "Peter, I was going to tell you that the photos was amazing. You're really growing in your craft." Peter couldn't help but get tongue-tied at Uriah's word and just found him nodding.

"Anyways," Uriah starts, inhaling a lot of air as if someone deprived him of it, "I was going to invite you to eat at the Korean restaurant downtown with the other staffers. I know it sounds harsh especially because of the latest _hot topic…"_ Uriah says, quoting the last words with his hands, "but we wanted to celebrate Tris and what she's done for the paper." Uriah added. Peter, though the celebration wasn't for him, was touched at how kind hearted this gesture was, especially from Uriah. He wonders if, when he dies, they'll do this as well.

"Sure, but I have to drop some of my stuff in the mart, first." Peter said, not debating whether he should do it or not. His psychiatrist told him that maybe he needed more friends. It isn't that he didn't want to, but after the incident when he was a child, people didn't seem to want to associate themselves with the child psycho.

"Oh no worries, Toby offered to drive and we'll pass by the mart anyways. You can drop it then." Uriah said and started walking; Peter had no other choice but to follow.

It felt so foreign- the concept of hanging out- to Peter, especially now looking around as his fellow staffers dug into their _samgyeopsal_. Peter brought his camera with him, not because he was going to take pictures but leaving it made him feel empty. It was his solitude in whatever times and he just can't seem to not leave it. He raised it up from underneath the table and pointed it at his _friends_ , just wanting to keep this memory, or just proof to his father that he's somehow doing good.

Uriah sees him.

"You've been behind that camera for too long. It's time you were in front of it." And without asking, he took the camera from Peter. Peter thought it'll trigger something but he was calm and as people crowded around him to take a picture he knew that maybe this day would turn out to be good.

IV.

Uriah made his way to the cemetery just a little while after the party with his fellow paper staffers. In his hand was a single rose, white. He trudged his way up the hill and stopped at one specific graveyard.

"Hey Mar," he starts as he looks down at the grave. "I'm sorry I couldn't be in your funeral. I was in an interview of one of the deaths in school. You might remember her, Tris. Say hi to her for me when you see her." He sighs and he can feel his tears forming. His voice is choked and he didn't know if he could say more. "I'm sorry I never tried looking for you." His tears were already falling by this time.

"I'm sorry I concentrated on my anger rather than looking for you. I'm sorry I wasn't there on time. I'm sorry I left you there alone. I'm sorry for being mad at myself, at you for going to that party"

It was starting to rain.

"And I'm sorry for letting my anger get ahead of me. For blaming Tris for everything. It was just so easy to blame someone."

It was starting to rain.

He laughs at himself and places the rose on top of her graveyard.

"You didn't have to cry, Mar." He whispered as he feels the rain pour down to his fingertips. He didn't mind getting wet. It felt that everything around him was crying and somehow, he felt a great relief.

"I'm too guilty because I blamed everything on her and somehow I feel that this was all my fault but take care of her Mar, she's too fragile to be alone." Uriah said.

He watches as the rain, feeling each raindrop fall on his face and then he laughs.

'It's so _deus ex machina_ , the rain." He told himself letting the rain wash away everything: the hurt, the tears, the pride, the guilt.

V.

"You liked her didn't you?" It was a simple question yet Zeke knew how hard it must feel for Four, who was standing in front of him as he sat down on the bleachers, to ask that question. He was quiet. What else can you say in these kinds of situation?

"Zeke, it's fine. You can tell me." Four said lowering her guard and taking a seat beside him. They were suppose to have football practice but the coach let them off today especially after what happened but immediately, they've got drawn into the situation and into the field making their coach shakes his head from a far side of the field.

"Can I?" Zeke finally said, after a couple minutes of silence.

"Why didn't you?" To be honest, all these questions were getting into Zeke's head and he just wanted to stop. Zeke was going to ask another question but it felt so futile. He knew he had to answer one way or another.

"I didn't think it was important for both of you to know. I mean, you already had a perfect relationship, why bother getting in between." Zeke said. He knew that wasn't real. He knew that he didn't know why he actually never told Four. He knew what Four would do. He'll silently give her to him without any further explanation, that he'll be better for her, and he'll be fine.

Zeke knows he wouldn't be.

Zeke knew Four liked her ever since they were children.

Zeke never forgot how younger Four would talk about Tris as if she was the best thing in his life.

Zeke didn't want to get in the way of that.

"It wasn't that perfect." Four said, and Four talked. He talked about their relationship and Zeke listened, and he wondered if he would be able to be patient with Tris like Four was. Tris wasn't an easy girl to deal with yet Four stood still and let her be that way. Zeke wondered if he could've really loved Tris the way Four did.

"How are you, anyways?" Zeke asked Four. Four shook his head and so Zeke stayed quiet not knowing if what Four meant was that he didn't want to talk about it or he didn't know what to say.

"To be honest," Four started, "I think I've exhausted my tears too much for Tris. I wouldn't be able to bring her back anyway. I know I won't get over this anytime, but I will, I know I will but there will always be that ache in my heart where Tris once was." Four said. As Zeke listened it suddenly hurt him that maybe he never actually loved Tris and that he would never have given Tris the love she deserves.

VI.

When Four walks inside the house he wonders why he hears a noise. The door was locked so he knew that whoever was inside had a key.

He walks into the kitchen and Four find himself surprised to seeing his dad there. He had a tub of ice cream out and he was watching a baseball game on the kitchen tv.

"Dad?" Four silently says. Ever since Four's dad has been part of the government in their city he's always been busy and rarely goes home. If he does, he's going to just haul himself in the office and do more work. Four didn't mind. He was so used to being left alone by his dad after his mother died and besides, he knew his father was only doing this to support him.

He was an only child yet he also had big dreams.

And his father wanted him to achieve those dreams, doing everything he can, even sacrificing time with his son.

"Four, sit down and watch the game with me. Have some ice cream as well." The idea of doing something so ordinary with his father felt so far fetched. The bonding time his father and he had would always be when he accompanied his father to political parties or golf with his political friends; something normal people wouldn't do on normal days but that was normal to Four. So this, watching a baseball game with his father, while eating ice cream, something oddly normal, wasn't for Four. But he sat down anyways.

He dug in to the ice cream and tasted mango, then he remembered how Tris loved mango ice cream.

"I bought you some mangoes because I knew it was you favorite. I would always buy you this when you were younger." His father said and he smiled.

"Dad," he said, "it was Tris who loved the mangoes." Four said.

"But you would always eat it with her, I thought you loved it too." Four shrugged.

"It's what she wanted, so I went with it as well." Four said. His father sighed. "Well, there's some popcorn in the fridge. Butter." he said, fixing himself on the chair, "Just pop it up later and we'll watch your favorite movie. What's that again? That superhero movie with the crazy man?" Four was smiling because none of it was his favorite. Tris just always wanted butter when eating popcorn, nothing else and she loved watching 'The Dark Knight Rises' to the point of already knowing everything that will happen for every scene. Four thinks she might have already memorized the whole script.

His dad saw him shaking his head.

"Still Tris' favourite?" and Four nodded. His father sighed and he kind of felt that his father was disappointed with himself.

"It's alright, Dad. I could eat the popcorn and watch The Dark Knight Rises with you." His father smiled but their was a distance with his smile, as if it's not really there.

"She was always like a daughter to me." It was simple words but it hit Four so hard because realizing it now, she would never become the daughter to him, and for the first time in the day, he let himself cry.

VII.

"Will" Will looked out and saw Christina. If you looked at her now, you would wonder if she was up all night because her eyes were all red but it didn't hint much that she cried the whole day. It hurt Will thinking that he couldn't take her in his arms and just hug her until she felt alright, no matter how long that was.

"Hey." Will said sheepishly. Christina fixed her bag on her shoulder and breathed in as if she ran from somewhere.

"I was going to ask you if you wanted if you wanted to watch a movie with me." Christina said, rather shyly. Will wanted to say yes so badly but his phone kept ringing and he knew his dad was looking for him.

He sighed and once Christina noticed, her shoulders slumped down too.

"I'm sorry, but my dad is here." Those words were enough for Christina. She nodded and just walked out.

"It's fine. I'll go ask Uriah." she said, defeated and she left.

Will walked out of the school feeling hopelessly lost. He felt useless as he straddled his guitar and his bag towards the parking lot to meet his father. His father met with him with a hug.

"I never like frowning in the family." his father said. Will could hear Cara in the front of the car, already singing some Christian ballads like she always does.

"Dad," Uriah tried to argue but he know he'll just get a sermon and he didn't want that now.

"Come here." And surprisingly, his dad went out to hug him. He started shaking so his father held him. It was rare that his son cried so he let him. Once Will got back to his senses, he wiped his eyes and fixed his stuff in the car. He was already buckling his seat belt when his father threw something on his lap and he realized that it was the car keys.

"Go on. I'll get a cab. Enjoy yourself today. Looks like there's a girl waiting for you." Will was surprised. This day was full of surprises. He knew though that this was only temporary but he wanted this day to be worth it. He ran out of the car and went to Christina.

"Christina." Seeing her, as she turned around at him was something she knew she would never forget.

"Looks like I'm alright to watch a movie." he said, and she smiled.

VIII.

Christina didn't know how to react. She was watching a movie with Will and it all felt so dream like that she wondered if it was. After what happened throughout the day, she wondered if she was still capable of being happy.

"Want some popcorn?" Will asked, as they got ready to line up for the ticket line. Christina looked around and even though she would've loved to watch _Train to Busan,_ she wanted this night to be perfect. She knew that she could watch it another day so instead of answering will, she asked, "Do you want to go somewhere else?" Will smiled, took her hand and they went back to the car.

* * *

Will took them to a little bungalow, old though beautiful; it was in the middle of the forest and Christina wondered how Will came across this place. It was one floor, with white walls. It didn't look like a place Will would've lived in. It was cramped with musical instruments and books about Christianity, and even vinyl records though Christina wondered whether they played it or not. It had a sense of youthfulness in the place. As Christina walked around it, she felt completely in awe. It was so quiet, and serene that she wanted to stay there for a long while.

"Where did you find this?" she asked as Will entered the bungalow and put his guitar down. Christina smiled, seeing that even here, he wouldn't let go of the guitar.

"We were sharing the gospel around this area when we got lost at this part of the forest. The locals near this area said that they were actually a lot more bungalows in these area, but eventually some people tore it down and other people planted trees here. If you actually look closely you'll see that the trees are still young." Christina wondered how Will knew that. "When it started to rain that day, we stayed here for the night though it was barely livable. Eventually, we told the Church that it was a nice place for fellowship so one summer we decided to fix it up." Christina remembered that summer. It was the summer before high school and everyone was out and about since there wasn't anything that was holding you down. Will would always be busy, saying he was working on fixing something. Whenever Christina dropped by their house, his mother would always tell her that Will fixing a sort of house in the forest. She hoped she knew that this is what it resulted to. "Eventually, this spot became a spot for our youth camps every summer."

Christina positioned herself in front of a chair, looking at Will as if asking for permission. "You can sit down," Will said smiling as he sat down himself, taking out his guitar from his case. Christina looked at him and watched him as he started plucking on the strings of his guitar, and then, slowly he started singing. It was an unfamiliar song, probably a church song he always sang but it sounded great and just then, Christina felt something heavy lift from her heart.

* * *

Will had his hands on his pocket as he walked Christina home. Relatively, their houses were close to each other so Will didn't mind parking at home and walking Christina home. Besides, a walk would mean more time together.

"We should go watch that movie next time. I know you wanted to watch it." Will said, as they were nearing Christina's house.

"Some other time, I suppose."

The front yard light was on yet the inside of the house was dark. Either her mother wasn't home or was sleeping. Once they got to the front yard, they were hesitant in saying goodbye. Both of them wanted this time together and now that it was ending, the reality of the world seemed to sink back in.

"Thanks for tonight. I had a great time." Christina said.

Will breathed in and stepped forward, closing the distance between them. Christina stiffened. She watched in movies that usually these kinds of things happened but she never expected this from Will. Besides, she didn't want this to happen now. She had so much respect for Will's parents and their beliefs that she'd rather not do this.

"Will," she says, stopping his intentions. "I want this but we can wait. I can wait for you." She said. Will smiled, but he kissed her anyways.

IX.

Tori was tired as he got home. She wasn't just physically, she was also emotionally drained. It hurt her to see those kids hauled up in a room trying to accept a fact that one of their closest friends is dead. Tori felt more like a psychiatrist than a detective. A she got to her flat, her dog, Apollo, walked up to her, like a dog always does waiting for her owner.

"Hello, Apollo, how are you?" she asked and the dog just flicked her tail back and fourth. Tori let her go as she walked to the kitchen.

She had her fair share of bad news in her whole stay as a detective. She would usually inspect drug bust of some of her friends, or even crimes of people she knew once. The hardest though was the case of Ben. Thinking about it now, no one still knew what happened. It was ruled as suicide but Tori knew better. From all the years that she'd been a detective, and from all the years she knew her brother, she knew that Ben would have never taken his life.

The day wasn't any better. Not only didn't they find any leads, the one who actually admitted to the crime didn't really coincide with how the victim was killed. They knew that Tris was dumped in the river, but she didn't die that way, and now they were all confused in the office. They all just went home since it was already a long day and the Boss knew that they were all tired, physically and emotionally. Especially Tori.

She walks to the kitchen to get a drink.

Her phone rings.

'Hello' she answers.

'Hey, Tor. The guys and I are planning to go on a drink. Want to catch up?' the other line said. She smiled as she recognized Max's voice.

'I'm fine, besides, I'm really tired from the day.' she said. She hear Max laugh on the other line.

'You've worked yourself too much.' Max said. He said he'll be going but before he could end the line, Tori interrupted.

'Could you bring up Ben's file again. I want to check it out tomorrow.' She said. He sighed.

'You can't keep doing this to yourself.' Max said.

'I just want to check it out again.' Tori told him. He sighed again but eventually gives in.

'I'll put it on your desk.' Tori said

She was going to put the phone down when Max said, 'Are you going to the funeral?'

Tori didn't know if she should. She didn't know how people would take her especially since she's the one who worked on the case.

'I don't know. Maybe.' She said.

'I think the Priors will appreciate you there.' Max said.

'I hope so.' They talked for a little bit more until Max said he had to go. She said thanks as Max put down the phone. In the quietness of her flat, Tori looks around and decides that maybe, she did need a drink.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Anyone watched _Train to Busan,_ already. That movie was nice, in all its form. HAHA.**

 **If you have anything to say, don't be shy. The review button is right there.**

 **Follow and/or favourite if you haven't yet.**

 **And who ever has a FictionPress, follow me. I posted some of my stories there already.**

 **Until next time,**

 _ **-E.**_


	8. II Chapter 6

**A/N  
** **FINALLY!**

* * *

 **Part II.** Chapter 6

I.

Tris' funeral was a quiet event, yet everyone was there. The whispers were deafening, but still, most people kept their mouth's shut. Nobody knew what happened, or who the killer really was but it sent a shiver down people's spine. The police though clarified that this wasn't a psychopathic murder, it was all personal. Someone wanted Tris Prior dead and someone got what they wished.

Tori stood a couple of meters away from the steps of the church watching people go in, waiting for the procession to start, or in some cases, end. Tori didn't know is she was allowed to go in. She knew that police presence will just make the whispers worse.

"You're always so transparent when you're nervous." Tori jumped. She looked around and saw Max heading her way.

"I think I'm the one who should be nervous being here. At least the Priors know you." Max said. Tori shrugged. "Only a couple of people know my involvement with the Priors. Besides, it's not a story every body should now." She looked back at where Max was standing a while ago, and still saw Uriah standing there as if Max hadn't left him. He was staring though, and there was something in his gaze that told Tori that he was analyzing something, somewhat calculating.

"What did Uriah want with you?" Tori asked.

He saw Max's features changed for a second before he regained his calm demeanor. If Tori wasn't observant, she would've missed it.

Max shrugged.

"He just wanted a story for the school paper." _He was lying._ Tori thought. She wondered why though, because Max never lied to her. She didn't question it, _yet._ She knew that Max will tell eventually.

"Come on, let's go. We're earning stares here anyways, let's just get this over with." Max placed a hand on the Tori's back, leading the way though Tori knew where to go. She looked momentarily back at Uriah and he was smiling, as if there was a joke; it's as if something is clearly obvious and he was smiling at the fact that Tori didn't recognize it. Once Tori and Max got to their seats, she just stared at him, trying to force the answer out of his face, but she couldn't get anything. Instead what she got was an awkward tension between them and Max felt it too. "Why are you staring?" He smiled sheepishly as if he caught her in the act of some sorts. Tori shook her head, "It's nothing." Max was a good detective. If he had something to hide, he knew how to hide it well. She knew that Max was one of Eric's frat buddies but Tori didn't want to believe the worse. Still, she couldn't deny the tingle that kept shooting up her spine.

II.

It was quiet when Christina got to the church. Though she prided herself for always being early, this was one occasion that Christina rather she be late. She rode with Will's family because his father was going to facilitate the occasion, and her mother didn't want to be in this kind of atmosphere. Her mother wasn't open into her daughter's friendship with the young Prior, but seeing as Christina didn't have much friends, she tolerated her.

"Are you alright?" Will asked, slowly approaching her. Christina noticed that he was more caring these days, yet he kept his distance. Monday night didn't change anything but the fact that their feelings were laid bare. They were still friends and Christina knew that Will was still taking his time, as if confident that he'll still have her in the end. In was romantic to think about, but Christina didn't know if she could wait. Christina didn't want to think about these things, especially not now so instead she focused on the coffin in front of her, but she realized she rather not see that too.

The coffin was close which was odd because it was usually open in these kinds of things right?

Christina hadn't really been in much funerals, only those of her relatives she knew nothing about but this was the first that felt important.

She walked towards it, her hand outstretched, reaching for the coffin. When she got there, she put her hand on the lid, ready to lift it up but then she felt a warm hand on hers.

"The Priors didn't want to open the coffin. She doesn't look the same, Christina." And with that Christina withheld her hand.

Will held her hand, and Christina took it away instantly, not wanting Will's father to suspect anything. She knew he already did, but she didn't want to over step her boundaries. The fact that she was tolerated was enough. She didn't want for his parents to hate her, though she knew that wasn't possible. She turned around and started walking out the church. Right now she needed air and the church just didn't give her any of that. This will be the last time she would be with Tris in the same room and thinking about it, she didn't want to be in there.

III.

Will sat at the pew just directly in front of the coffin after Christina walked out, leaving him in the quietness of the church. He put his fingers in front of him and thought how bad he was doing with all of these. He knew Christina respected his family's decision, hence why she wasn't initiating anything romantic but Will somehow didn't want that. He wanted to show her how he cared and he was just trying so hard.

"Will?" He looked around and saw his sister walking towards him. "How are you?" Cara said, sitting beside him. They were always close and she would always know when he needed someone, and he loved her for that.

"I don't know what to do anymore." He admitted. He knew he couldn't hide it though. His sister knew him well.

"About whom? Tris or Christina?" Cara asked. Will looked at her as if asking her is she was serious. She shrugged and smiled.

"Songs of Solomon, Will. _Do not arouse love until it so desires."_ She tells him and Will can't help but be reminded why he was waiting in the first place.

"Come on, the Prior's are almost here." She loops her hand around his elbow and they walk outside. Cars were being parked everywhere. He wondered if when he died there would be these many people too. Will knew Tris doesn't actually have these many friends but she was a Prior so whoever was the Prior's acquaintance would be here. He knew that half of them maybe even haven't met Tris, or just knew her by name. He never really understood funerals, and never liked them as well. Even though his father always told him that funerals should be celebrated because it's when the soul goes back to it's beginning, to God, Will still thinks it's rather sad.

When they got out to the garden, he saw Tris's parents just near the steps of the church. They were talking to people, arms around each other but who knows if that was actually sincere. Once this was all over, Will can't help but wonder if the divorce won't push through, though he highly doubted it. Their relationship was so complicated to begin with the he doesn't know if there were still areas to redeem it. He walked around, trying to look for solitude, or even someone who can grant him a peace of mind but he was just engulfed by the sea of people wearing black.

IV.

It was quiet from where Four stood a couple of meters away from the church doors looking at the sea of black walking towards the entrance. He wondered if those people actually cared or they just went there for formalities sake. _Let's celebrate the death of the dead girl._ He sighed and started walking towards the church.

Even before he can enter the church, he already felt the overwhelming dread. The coffin was sitting there and at the back of his mind, he still wanted to deny that Tris was lying there.

The coffin wasn't open.

He wasn't surprised.

He walked inside, and the people around him seemed to step away, not wanting anything to disrupt the boyfriend of the dead girl from mourning.

He stood in front of the coffin. He wanted to see her but he knew that the Priors didn't want the coffin to be open. But he still wanted to see her.

"Four?" he heard someone call him. He looked around and saw Natalie Prior trying to reach out for his hand. He knew it wasn't because she wanted to mourn with him, but because she was retrieving his hand before he can do anything they both didn't want to happen.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Ms. Prior" Tris once said the he could call her Natalie but without Tris, it just seemed so foreign, the idea of calling her by her first name.

"You should sit with us, where's your father?" Four tried his best to answer but he somehow couldn't think straight because he thought he saw someone at the back of the church. He knew that smile too much, and the his shining gold teeth. Of course he didn't want to believe that Eric was here. He was, for all Four knew, was still detained.

"Are you okay, Four?" Natalie Prior said. He looked stunned, and then managed to catch his focus just in time.

"Yes. I'm sorry. I just thought I saw someone." he said. When he sat down beside the Priors, he still couldn't remove the mocking smile that was playing in his head.

V.

Zeke couldn't hear the quiet, instead he only heard a ringing at the side of his head. It didn't feel like he was awake. But here he is. Standing at the back of the church looking at the hundreds of people listening in, or pretending to listen.

"Black doesn't suit you, I realized" he snickered, hearing his best friend beside him.

"Why aren't you inside?" Zeke asked, looking at Four. He shrugged.

"The air's too dry. I needed to breath." Zeke wanted to joke but it wasn't the right time especially in this occasion.

"Have you seen Uriah?" Four asked. Zeke shrugged. "I saw him step out earlier, he said he needed the air. Maybe he just didn't want to be in another funeral." Zeke said.

"Another?" Four asked.

"He was dating someone three years ago. The body was found just recently." Zeke said, casually. Four didn't want to ask, but there was some nagging at the back of his mind that he wanted to refuse was there.

"I have to get back." He said to Zeke and Zeke just nodded. He look at Four walk towards the Priors. It seemed like he was such a family to them already that he was sitting beside them in the pews.

Zeke wondered how he would look like there, if he was the one that dated Tris.

But what-ifs couldn't help anyone right now. Time was confusing at times, but it was always constant.

He couldn't take the sadness inside the church so he stepped out.

Once he did, he felt rain on the top of his head.

He shook his head at how cliché this was. It's as if the sky was crying for the dead girl. If the sky had too much sympathy for everyone dying then there wouldn't be any sun. It's as if they felt that the world lost too much with Tris Prior's death, but he knew better.

VI.

"I didn't think you'd be here. You weren't in Marlene's funeral, were you?" Uriah saw Max clench his jaw.

He snickered.

"What are you doing here, Max? After all that you've done?" Uriah said.

"I'm paying my respects, Uriah!" Max said. Uriah might have not really liked Tris that much but it was a disrespect for the victim for the killer's best friend to be here. He knew of course, who it was. As a journalist, you notice these things.

He sighed.

"Is that how you do it then? By discharging the killer?" Max stared at him, stunned and furious.

In the quiet of the church Uriah could almost hear the sound of Max's heartbeat. He wondered if he also heard Marlene's heartbeat albeit her silent whimpering when she was beneath him.

He shifted and Uriah braced himself for an attack. He started clenching his fist, yet just before he could raise a fist, someone called him. Both Max and Uriah turned to look and saw Tori waving at them. Uriah waved, and Max signaled that he'll be there in a bit.

"How did you know?" Max asked the same moment that Uriah asked, "Does she know what happened three years ago?"

Max sighed.

He knew who Uriah was. He was not going to get through this kid.

"it was a joke, Uriah. Can we get over it?" Max said.

"Tell that to the boyfriend of the victim." Uriah said.

"I'm sorry. But let's not talk about that here." Max said. Uriah shrugged.

"I hope the next time we talk about it, you're already coming clean, Officer." Uriah said, mocking. "She's waiting for you." he said, signaling behind Max. He sighed again and made his way to Tori, not wanting to delve into the issue longer.

Tori looked at Uriah and he smiled. Of course, she wouldn't know.

As one of the best officers in her craft, he was so amused that she could miss the hints. Uriah dug his hands in his pockets and walked away from the church deciding that he couldn't handle another funeral.

VII.

Peter had to be quiet. He didn't want to disturb the mourners at the floor below him. He looked out of the veranda to see the coffin. He smiled, thinking that if it was open he would see the dead girl.

"Don't you want to go down?" One of the priests asks walking past him. He shrugged.

"She wasn't my friend." Peter said.

"Yet you took the time to dress up." Peter just smiled as the priest walked away. He didn't want to go to the funeral, but his dad insisted that he should. He didn't know why he had too. It's not as if he was ever close to the family, or more likely to Tris and he didn't want to be part of the people who were pretending to have been part of her life. Tris was picky. He only ever had few friends. And he was never apart of that.

Besides, he really didn't like funerals.

He looked down, and saw the coffin. It would have been a sight if it was open. He wondered what Tris would look like now that she was dead.

Was she still intimidating?

Or did she still have that beauty that made people look?

Did she lose that aura around her that will make you stop?

Peter wondered and then decided that he shouldn't. Whoever Tris was when she was alive, she'd never be that again.

He never believed in an afterlife but if there is, he hoped Tris would live a better life than this.

Pocketing his hands, he walked down from the veranda and made his way to the throng of people downstairs.

VIII.

The silence was dangerous. It's as if one word or even a breath can shatter the fragile atmosphere. Not that Caleb wanted the atmosphere. It was so dry yet full of something, sorrow maybe, or something else entirely. Caleb didn't like the atmosphere. It took him a couple of times to realize that Tris wasn't beside him. He couldn't help but remember the funerals, or the weddings, or just the times they were in church and Tris would drop comments here and there. Caleb was waiting for those comments the whole day. He would lean to his right and maybe someone would whisper to him. He retreated though because he was afraid someone will and it will shatter the reality that Tris was really dead.

Even from when he got out of the house, with his parents acting without will - trying to pretend that nothing was wrong even though everything is- he wanted to get out of that atmosphere and he thought air would do him good.

He was sitting on the steps of the church skipping all those pleasantries inside. The sadness was too much.

For the first time in his life he actually felt lonely.

Tris was a constant in his life, even if she wasn't always there, he was still assured that when he gets home, Tris would be there acting all sisterly like, scavenging his closet for sweatshirts or just waiting in the living room for him while she was watching _One Day,_ with a tub of ice cream or a bowl of popcorn ready for him. And he would watch with her even though he didn't like it.

He was that sure that Tris would always be there.

When he saw her in the hospital that day, he wanted to close his eyes. He didn't want to remove the wonderful girl Tris was in his head, yet he kept seeing her dead body in the morgue. He closed his eyes and just wanted to remember every good and even the bad things Tris did was she was alive.

He wanted to remember when she was alive.

And then he just cried right there, with the procession going on inside.

IX.

When you entered, everyone suddenly became quiet. Well that's how you thought it was. You felt them all looking at you even if there heads were focused in front. One head though was turned to you. And you hated seeing her cry. You never really liked crying, especially from Christina. You would always see her sheltered and away, crying in the corner, wanting nobody to see her weak but you see her.

She was still looking at you.

You look at her then you realize that it was wrong being here.

You here Tris's mother cry even more, louder this time.

And you just can't take it.

So you walk out.

Christina sees you.

"Al" She shouts.

And now, you really do feel that everybody was staring at you.

"Hey, how are you?" Christina said. You still don't look at her, because how could you, right? You shake you head. _I don't know._ That's what you want to say but you can't say it because you should feel guilty, angry at yourself for what you did instead, you don't know how you are and you hate that.

"I'm glad you came." Christina suddenly said, knowing, probably, that you wouldn't answer anyways.

"Tris would've wanted you here." She said and that didn't make anything better. "I don't think so." You finally say because you know if it weren't for you, she would actually still be here and not rotting inside a coffin.

"It's not your fault, Al." She was lying. Of course it was your fault.

"I threw her over a bridge, Christina." You said, now facing her, trying to smile but she was crying. .

"I'm sorry." and you start walking away, Christina still calling you.

"I'm sorry" You mutter quietly.

"I'm sorry" because it's all you can say.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Two more chapter to go. :)  
**

 **Follow. Favorite. And review.**

 **- _E_**


End file.
